Lost Child
by Pleeai
Summary: Chap one reformatted! working on the rest. After witnessing his father's death, Ranma is sent on a quest to maintain family honor by Genma's dying words.
1. Default Chapter reformatted

Lost Child, Chapter 1  
  
It was a glorious spring day in Kyoto. There were several street vendors doing good business as the noon hour approached. A middle-aged man in a white gi slowly approached one of the vendors closest to him and the edge of town.   
  
  
  
Genma Soatome eyed a small postcard in his hand. The front had a picture of a Shinto shrine, and the back had a short message. It read, "Tendo, bringing Ranma. Be prepared. Genma". Genma stopped in the street and sighed softly, his brow furrowed in contemplation.  
  
Silently, he considered. Is Ranma ready? Perhaps he's too young. If I wait a little longer, he'll be even stronger. After all, I've only had a little over two years with the boy.  
  
Reaching a conclusion, he pocketed the small card. The boy was good, but not quite where Genma wanted him. With a glint of the food cart. determination in his eye, he slowly walked up behind the burly man running  
  
  
  
At the edge of town was a small wooded area. In one of the trees closest to the town, Eight-year-old Ranma sat up high in the branches. His feet swung idly as he watched his father approach the vendor he'd chosen. It was an odd game that Pop had made up, but he told Ranma it was training.  
  
That's what Ranma couldn't understand. Nobody in the world was as good a martial artist as his father, so why would Pop have to train? Ranma had wanted to go, but Pop claimed to have an urgent errand. Why couldn't Ranma help?  
  
With a light shrug, Ranma turned back to his father. Pop knew best, usually, so Ranma would trust him.  
  
  
  
Genma smiled as a young boy dressed in rags openly ran up and snatched some various food items from the cart. What luck! Genma waited until the man had nearly caught the urchin before carefully and quickly selecting supplies for him and the boy.  
  
Genma, arms filled with food, smiled triumphantly and jogged away from the cart. He scanned the tree line for the spot where Ranma lay hidden. He smiled encouragingly when he caught the boy's eyes.  
  
Ranma's smile faded into frightened shock suddenly, and Genma frowned. The boy waved wildly and Genma started to turn. There was a loud explosion and Genma was thrown forward. He hit the ground hard despite his years of training.  
  
  
  
Ranma saw the gun in the vendor's hand and tried to get his father to turn around. When the shot echoed to him in the woods, he saw his father fall. Like a shot, Ranma was out of the tree and running. In moments, he was drawing his father's head into his lap.  
  
Genma coughed and smiled. "Such a quick boy."  
  
Ranma frowned and spoke softly, "Pop, don't worry. I'll get ya to the hospital."  
  
Genma shook his head, wincing at the movement. "No time. Take this." Ranma accepted a piece of cardboard or thick paper without looking. "You are the heir to the school of Anything Goes."  
  
"Sure Pop, but . . .."  
  
"Quiet! Boy, to maintain your family's honor, I am giving you a quest of sorts. Go, and train just as hard as I have worked you. One day, when you   
  
feel strong and invincible, take out this card. Study it until you find something new, and then train some more. Train until you no longer feel invincible."  
  
"Sure Pop, whatever you say, but we gotta get you going."  
  
"Promise me!"  
  
Ranma met his father's stern and set gaze. He nodded sagely, "I promise."  
  
"Boy—Son—I'm so very proud of you."  
  
With that, Genma Soatome, one of the top martial artists in Japan, slipped into the cold arms of death.  
  
  
  
A slightly older Ranma stood in the dirty streets of some nameless town in Japan. People   
  
walked alone down the street, huddling into their coats and hats to keep from catching anyone's eye. Ranma stood tall and proud as he read the ad he'd ripped out of the paper he'd slept under the night before.  
  
"Wanted," he read, "A bouncer for a small, privately owned bar. Must be tough, good pay, bad neighborhood. Apply immediately."  
  
Ranma checked the ad and set his small features into the blank mask he always wore. With a small nod of self-encouragement, he crossed the muddy street. He pushed open the door and stepped inside.  
  
He blinked rapidly to adjust his eyes, scanning the room quickly. A polished wood bar ran the length of one wall, and most of another. It was scarred and old, but shiny and clean. Racks of bottles and glasses were stacked behind the bar, and bare round tables were spread randomly in front of it.  
  
A pair of old men glanced at Ranma before throwing coins on the table and rising to leave. They scowled at Ranma's torn gi. The gi reminded Ranma of the bar, scarred but clean. A large man entered from a door behind the bar. He met Ranma's eyes and smiled, grunting at his appearance. Ranma wondered what the grunt meant.  
  
Softly but confidently, Ranma asked, "Are you the owner?"  
  
"I am."  
  
Ranma nodded and stepped closer to the bar as the man leaned against it. His white shirt with rolled up sleeves and the white apron over it stank of alcohol and vomit, but there were only a few light stains.  
  
"My name's Ranma. I came about this." He handed over the wrinkled newspaper clipping.  
  
The man glanced at the paper and scratched his thin brown hair. He looked back down at Ranma. "Your pop wants the job?"  
  
"No sir, I do."  
  
Pause, "Huh. Look kid, this is a tough neighborhood. If my boy didn't have school and homework, I'd just have him help out. He's a martial artist ya know. As it is, I need someone tougher than my clientele, which consists mostly of bums and street fighters."  
  
Ranma's gaze was strong and steady. He barely blinked. "I'm strong. I'm a martial artist too."  
  
"Don't ya got school?"  
  
"No sir, have to support . . . the family." No sense in telling the man that Ranma was the family."  
  
"A kid like you has to support the family? How's that?"  
  
"My Pop was killed, Mom is . . . really sick." Dead could be considered sick. "I have to get food somehow."  
  
The man studied Ranma for a long time before sighing and walking around the bar. He patted Ranma on the shoulder, surprising the boy by picking him up by the collar and carrying him to the door.  
  
"Sorry kid, but I need someone pretty tough."  
  
Ranma frowned and sent a sharp kick to the man's ribs. Several blows quickly followed it to the arm that held Ranma above the ground. Ranma rolled as he hit the ground, sending himself out the door. He came up in a ready stance, his face still blank.  
  
The man frowned and rubbed his side with his good arm. The boy packed quite a punch, maybe even better than his son. "Tell ya what, you beat my son, and ya got the job."  
  
Ranma stood and nodded. The man disappeared inside, reappearing quickly with an older boy. He looked about seventeen, and was probably a black belt. Ranma mentally smirked; this would be easy.  
  
The boy looked at Ranma in disbelief. He turned and spoke quietly to his father before shaking his head and looking at Ranma. He shrugged and stood opposite Ranma, taking an offensive stance. Ranma nearly laughed and took a defensive one.  
  
The kid immediately launched an attack, which Ranma wove through. A quick punch went flying toward the boy's cheek. The older boy saw four fingers rapidly approach his face. The next thing he saw was his bedroom ceiling.  
  
  
  
Ranma twirled a small throwing knife in his left hand as he sat on a stool in the kitchen behind the bar. Ranma had been working for 'Boss' for nearly six months now. He'd lied and said that he was ten and a half when he was barely nine. He hated to lie, but who knew what would happen if they knew the truth?  
  
The truth was quite sad and pathetic, actually. He lived alone (no ill mother, or parents period) in a small spot he'd found in an alley. The wall to an abandoned building had collapsed, revealing a small barren room with one locked interior door. Ranma didn't need any more space, so left the door.  
  
Ma, Boss's wife, entered the kitchen and muttered about foolish husbands. She smiled and   
  
waved to Ranma. "How about helping me dry some dishes?"  
  
Ranma nodded and silently moved the stool closer to the sink. He sheathed the knife in the boot that Boss had bought for him. He now had jeans and T-shirts, several of each, which he wore when he wasn't practicing.  
  
  
  
He picked up a cloth and accepted a glass from Ma that she'd just finished washing. He dried it quickly but thoroughly before putting it in the cabinet. He was on the fifth glass when he heard a light commotion in the bar. He nodded apologetically to Ma before going to the front room.  
  
  
  
Five men were fighting it out halfway between the bar and the door. Ranma stood silently next to Boss before the man sighed and waved Ranma on. Ranma immediately jumped toward the small brawl. Several regulars elbowed each other for attention, passing money in bets.  
  
  
  
The men weren't paying attention to him, so he knocked the legs from beneath the first man. The second got a punch to the back of the head. The third man frowned at him as he saw Ranma, and tried to punch the kid. Ranma dodged the untrained blow and got the man in the jaw.  
  
  
  
Ranma now realized that the first three men and one of the remaining two had all been trying to subdue one considerably larger man. Ranma watched the big man send the fourth man flying, before squaring off against him in a ready stance.  
  
  
  
The man was obviously used to fights, but not a martial artist. He smiled coldly at Ranma before trying to kick the small boy's stomach. Ranma jumped over the kick and sent a flying roundhouse into the man's face. The huge man rammed into the slightly ajar door, straining the hinges.  
  
  
  
Ranma winced. If the door was damaged, it would come from his pay. As would the small chair the first man had landed on and smashed. Ranma nodded to Boss before going back to the kitchen. The crowd cheered loudly, some passing their winnings back and forth. Ranma ignored them, he'd gotten used to it by now, after all.  
  
  
  
Ranma was sweeping the floor of the bar early one morning. He'd finished his katas early today, and had needed something to occupy his time. Normally, he didn't have to sweep. Ma did that after he put all the chairs flipped over on the tables.  
  
  
  
He heard Boss enter, recognizing the heavy steps of the huge man. Ranma also heard Boss's son and daughter (twins) enter as he finished sweeping. He turned and nodded to the three of them. The kids cheerily said good morning and headed out the door to school.  
  
  
  
Ranma turned to the kitchen to put up the broom. Boss stopped him by putting a hand to Ranma's shoulder. Ranma looked up blankly at the man.  
  
  
  
"Ranma, don't you need a day off? I mean, you're here every morning before the kids are gone, and you don't leave until midnight or later."  
  
  
  
"I'm fine. The fights mean that I don't have to train all day, and I don't have anything else to do."  
  
  
  
"What about your mother? Who looks after her anyway?"  
  
  
  
"Uh, a neighbor sits with her in exchange for part of my wages."  
  
  
  
Boss frowned. That damnable emotionless face made it hard to tell if the boy was lying. Of course, it was always hard to tell anything about the boy. He nodded and waved the boy on, just as he heard the door open.  
  
  
  
Ranma and Boss both turned to see who it was. Nobody ever came to the bar this early! Ranma   
  
stared as a man with a blonde ponytail wearing a white suit stepped inside. He held the door open and scanned the room before stepping aside. Three more men in white suits entered before an older man in a black suit.  
  
  
  
Ranma noticed that the Boss looked nervous, but said nothing. The man in black smirked at Boss before catching sight of Ranma. The man knelt in front of Ranma, his white-blonde hair sweeping over his shoulders. He had piercing black eyes and high cheekbones that gave his face a sharp look.  
  
  
  
"Hello there son. What's your name?"  
  
  
  
Without hesitation, "Ranma, sir."  
  
  
  
The man smirked, sending chills down Ranma's backbone. Black stood and turned to Boss, who stepped up next to Ranma. With an intimidating smirk, Black spoke to Boss. "Good morning. How's business going?"  
  
  
  
Boss kept his face mostly blank, but there was fear and a little curiosity sparkling in his eyes. "As well as can be expected. Your visit is a pleasant surprise, Mr. Nishiguchi. I hope you're not here on business. I was under the impression that my end of the deal was . . .."  
  
  
  
Black, or Mr. Nishiguchi, held up a restraining hand. "Nonsense, you are paid in full for the moment. I was simply curious about your recent increase in business." His eyes shot quickly to Ranma and he smiled darkly. "I heard the strangest tales about a young martial artist that was defeating experienced street fighters."  
  
  
  
Boss gave a small swallow and followed Nishiguchi's eyes to Ranma, who stood calmly at his   
  
side. "Really? How interesting. I suppose you heard about my new bouncer then. Ranma, Why don't you go and finish up? You'll be late for school since you fiddled about so."  
  
  
  
Ranma, keeping his face blank, looked up at Boss. Boss knew that Ranma hadn't been to school in a long, long time. He saw the tight smile that was so unlike the man's usual, cheerful expression. He nodded slowly and bowed to Mr. Nishiguchi, whoever the man was.  
  
Ranma walked steadily to the kitchen. He closed the door and jumped to the closet. He jerked it open, being sure to keep it quiet. He grabbed the coat that had used to belong to Boss's son, Toma. He slipped on his shoes and reached for the knob of the door to the alley behind the bar.  
  
The loud smack of skin against skin came to the young boy's ears. He stood stock still with his hand a mere inch from the knob. He slowly rotated his head to look at the door leading to the bar. The continued sounds of a one-way battle accosted his senses.  
  
Confusion warred on his face. He must survive. Boss had been good to him. His face tensed with certainty and he jumped, flinging the door open. In the next instant, his fist collided with the face of the man holding Boss against the bar.  
  
Boss and the man in white both collapsed. Ranma counted his blessings that the man in the suit had happened to be turned in the most suitable way to take the blow. Ranma was in a ready stance before the two men had completely fallen and stopped moving.  
  
Nishiguchi was sitting in one of the booths, directly across from Ranma and next to the door. His legs crossed and one hand idly drawing invisible circles on the table, he seemed very relaxed. He glanced at the three remaining thugs. They smirked and advanced.  
  
  
  
One picked up the broom that Ranma had lain aside earlier, brandishing it like a staff. Another pulled out a small club from his coat, while the last man pulled out a knife. Ranma didn't let his worry show. Instead, he leapt onto the bar with a quick jump straight into the air and backward.  
  
He landed softly and the men smiled at the acrobatics, cold smiles. Ranma smirked and quirked an eyebrow playfully as he reached down behind the bar and pulled up a knife in his right hand. The men didn't look worried, but slowed their advance. Ranma's blank expression faded into a smile as cold as any one of theirs.  
  
  
  
One of the men frowned at Ranma's confident smirk. With a slow movement, Ranma fanned the   
  
seemingly single knife out to reveal four more in a fan-like motion. Now the men were not as confident as before, but Nishiguchi continued to chuckle.  
  
The man with the broom had reached striking range thanks to his long weapon. He swung weakly with an untrained blow. Ranma jumped over the swing, throwing a knife at the man as he flipped toward the man with the club. The knife struck home in the man's shoulder and he fell to the ground, gasping in pain.  
  
Ranma's spinning leap gave him plenty of momentum to extend one leg. His slight weight   
  
wasn't a handicap as all that spinning movement collided with the thug's collarbone. Ranma landed behind the men and turned around quickly; releasing one of the knives at the man he'd just kicked. It must have hit a lung, and he fell quickly.  
  
  
  
The third man came at him, knife sparkling in the light from the bar's clean windows. Ranma thought absently of Ma washing them the day before as he thrashed out with one of the three remaining knives. It missed by several inches, imbedding itself in the wooden bar.  
  
Ranma jumped to the side as the man sliced the air where Ranma had been a moment ago. The man was obviously specialized with knives, and kept Ranma at bay easily with his one knife against Ranma's two.  
  
With a snarled battle cry, Ranma lunged through the man's defenses. He dropped one knife as the man slashed Ranma's left wrist. Ranma drove his last knife into the man's ribs. Crimson blood rained down on the young boy's head, his arms still stretched up and holding the knife after the powerful thrust.  
  
He released his hold on the blade and the man fell to the floor in a crumpled mess. He wove slightly for a moment before catching his weary balance and looking up. Nishiguchi grinned down at him from his seat in the booth. There was a small sound directly behind him.  
  
  
  
Ranma belatedly realized that the first man, the one with the broom, must not have fainted after all.  
  
  
  
  
  
There was a constant throbbing in Ranma's head and left hand. Not really pain, no, it was just an odd throbbing. He felt something cool and hard against his cheek and running down his stomach and legs, as if he were lying on something. He strained to drag his heavy lids open, wincing at the sharp pains the bright lights caused.   
  
  
  
He clamped his eyes shut until the pain subsided, then squinted through his eyelashes. There was a long stretch of something white and sparkling before him. On top of that was a fuzzy collage of blue hues. Heaven? No, it was too hard to be heaven.  
  
He gradually opened his eyes to reveal a large room with blue walls and hangings, and a shiny white marble floor. He pulled his arms beneath him and pushed himself up to stand. He felt his left arm give and sudden waves of pain pounded into the entire left side of his torso.  
  
He grunted and fell back to the floor. There was a rustle behind him, but he was in too much pain to turn and see what caused it. A familiar voice gasped slightly in amusement.  
  
"Ah! You're awake already? Marvelous!"  
  
  
  
Ranma's eyes widened slightly and he pushed himself up with his right arm when the pain   
  
lessened. He made it to his knees before turning to see Nishiguchi sitting in a white stone chair twenty feet away. The 'chair' was really more like a throne, carved from white marble and padded with blue velvet. It had to be eight feet tall.  
  
Nishiguchi was wearing a black suit again, but it was different from the other one. Ranma stood and turned his body to face the man, never looking away from the man that had attacked Boss. He stood, feet apart and hands fisted at his sides, staring blankly at the man.  
  
  
  
"Hello Ranma. Oh, that is your real name, isn't it?" Ranma nodded and the man smiled. Ranma didn't like that smile. "Good. So, do you have a last name?"  
  
  
  
Ranma barely hesitated. "Soatome."  
  
  
  
Tomo Nishiguchi filed that away until he could retrieve the boy's records. "A pleasure to meet you. I suppose you are wondering what's going on?"  
  
Ranma shrugged, "Not really. It doesn't matter much. I made a stupid mistake in that fight, or I wouldn't be here at all."  
  
  
  
"Too true. However, I believe our—relationship—will work to our mutual benefit. Don't worry about Boss and his family, by the way. They no longer wish to have you around anyway."  
  
Ranma felt his cheek twitch and mentally scolded himself. Why wouldn't they want him back? Was the man lying? Did it matter? He hadn't improved much during his stay with the family, and he feared he was getting soft.  
  
  
  
"Ranma, how would you like to work for me?"  
  
  
  
"Doing what and how much does it pay?"  
  
  
  
Tomo chuckled softly, "Smart boy, right to the point. After I've made sure that you've been suitably trained, you'll be a guard, of sorts, for me. The pay will be, more than substantial, and it will include all the special training I'll give you."  
  
That perked Ranma up a bit. "Training?"  
  
Another chuckle, "Yes. I can't have a guard if he hasn't fulfilled his potential, now can I? You'll stay here with me and my family, receive tutoring from my own son's private teacher, learn from the best martial arts masters, and earn more money than you could ever spend."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why what?"  
  
Ranma contained an exasperated sigh, "Why me? I'm just a kid, surely you could find someone else."  
  
Tomo had his reasons, but the boy couldn't know them without ruining the whole thing. "Part of the deal is that I must have a few secrets. You'll be well cared for, so what does it matter?"  
  
"I don't need taken care of."  
  
"Of course not. What I meant is that you'll have money, food, a roof over your head, and you'll be a marvelous martial artist."  
  
Ranma ran through the options in his mind. Refuse, and he'd probably be killed. The fella seemed like some kind of mobster or something. However, if he accepted . . . What better way to assure his survival than by getting a job that will increase his training and make him rich to boot. Money was very important in survival, as his year penniless and alone had taught him.  
  
"Sure, why not?"  
  
"Head out that door. A woman waiting there will take care of you and get you settled in."  
  
Ranma nodded and turned brusquely to the door he had barely noted earlier. He pushed the heavy and ornate white oak door open. He immediately stepped outside and pushed the door closed. A woman, about twentyish with short, stringy, pale lavender hair smiled at him. She wore a white blouse with a pink cameo at her throat and a soft brown skirt. She moved her stiletto clad foot with a soft click.  
  
She'd been sitting in a chair across the hall from the room Ranma'd awoken in. She suddenly examined his appearance and frowned. Forcing a smile, she initiated conversation.  
  
"Hello! You must be the boy that Mr. Nishiguchi is taking under his wing." At Ranma's nod, she continued. "What were you and Mr. Nishiguchi talking about for so long? I've been waiting out here for hours." She gestured at the book in her hand, a thick novel.  
  
"I've only been awake for a couple minutes."  
  
She blinked. "Were you asleep in there or something?"  
  
Something like that, he thought, but simply nodded.  
  
"Where? There's nothing in the audience room but marble and Mr. N's chair."  
  
"On the floor."  
  
She blinked and gave him a pitying look. "Anyway, my name is Saya Naomi."  
  
Ranma accepted her offered hand and stated, "Ranma Soatome." He withdrew his hand as quickly as possible without being rude.  
  
"Well, I'd planned on taking you straight to your room and putting up your things, but it looks like you need a bath first."  
  
"What things?"  
  
She smiled and held a hand up, palm facing out to Ranma. She let the hand drop limply and said, "Silly, They brought a whole bag of your things. See?" She gestured to the huge backpack he'd had since he left Kyoto and his father's body.  
  
"Oh. I didn't know they brought my things."  
  
"Now, follow me, and I'll take you to your rooms after a nice hot bath."  
  
She turned and walked to the corner where his bag had been thrown. She grabbed the strap and tugged, expecting it to fling onto her shoulder. Instead, it barely moved. She blinked at it for a moment before frowning.  
  
Ranma stepped around her, smiling apologetically as he took the strap from her hand. He pulled it easily to his shoulder, then stood there waiting for her to show him to the bathroom. She smiled and giggled uncomfortably before walking down the corridor.  
  
They went up two flights of stairs and took a left. Ranma noticed that each floor consisted of a T shape of two corridors. The stairs were at the juncture of the two hallways, and a guard stood at the end of the three points. Each guard wore a white suit and had an earpiece connected to a long spiraling cord that disappeared somewhere in their jackets.  
  
After walking for several minutes, Ms. Naomi stopped abruptly next to one of the many identical doors that filled the halls. She stood beside it and gestured grandly at it.   
  
"Here's the bath. You have a good soak, and wait out here. I'll be back soon to take you to your room, but I want to make sure that it's already set up for you."  
  
Ranma nodded and opened the door, thoroughly ignoring her. He found himself in a changing room that was all white. There wasn't a speck of color in the room aside from Ranma and his belongings. The sink, the walls and ceilings, and the floor were all a white stonewith sparkling chips imbedded into the polished surfaces.   
  
Ranma opened the white door directly opposite the one he'd entered by. A large room was made completely from the same white stone. The sunken bath was closer to a small pool, and carved from the expensive marble material as well. There were two potted plants in the far corners, supplying the only color in either of the rooms.  
  
Ranma was hoping for a way out, a window or something. The only window was six inches tall and ran the length of the far wall. He checked carefully, but it didn't open. He sighed and went back to the changing room. If he was stuck in a bathroom, he might as well take a bath.  
  
After stripping out of his long sleeve shirt and jeans, he gave himself a nice, cold rinse and went back to the bath. He slipped into the pre-filled tub and sighed happily. It was very warm, the way he liked it. He soaked for several minutes, glad to be clean again. The blood and grime from his earlier battle at the bar now dirtied the once clean water.  
  
He pulled himself from the water and padded back to the changing room. He flipped open the flap to his heavy canvas backpack. He immediately dug around and found the small metal box he kept important things in. After a quick inventory of the box's contents, he buried it once more.  
  
He pulled out a white shirt and a torn pair of jean shorts. He dressed quickly and scanned his pack. He knew some of the things had been brought from his hideout in the alley. It seemed that Boss had followed him 'home' one day. Most of his clothes were in his cubby, but he took his pack to work every day. He kept his important valuables with him in case of an emergency.  
  
He had the clothes he'd fought in, the ones he was currently wearing, and one extra set. There was a light jacket, a pair of kung fu slippers that weren't worn at all, and a baseball cap for an American team he didn't know, and gloves. Boss had added a small hankie with a little money, a small book that revealed phone numbers and addresses for people he didn't recognize.  
  
Then there were his martial arts paraphernalia. He had several knives of various lengths and purposes. He had several throwing stars, but they weren't balanced quite right, and not the best quality. He had leather bracers, which he slipped on right then, and another pair that were weighted.   
  
All in all, not bad considering that he hadn't packed himself. He was thankful that Boss allowed him to keep working, knowing that Ranma wasn't really supporting a sick mother. Ranma closed the pack and stepped into the hallway. Both guards glanced at him before looking straight ahead once more.  
  
Ranma never glanced at either of them. He simply put one strap over his left shoulder, keeping his left hand on that strap and the right hand free. He stood patiently until shoes clicked softly on the stairs one flight above Ranma.  
  
Ms. Naomi rounded the landing, and Ranma could now see her shoes. Her black clogs with flat soles flopped against the bottom of her heels as she lifted each foot and put on a lower step. Soon, a black knee-length skirt was revealed, followed by a lavender blouse with a small oval broach with a pink and white cameo.  
  
She smiled approvingly when she saw him waiting and waved. As she got closer, she gasped in horror. She knelt before him and lightly brushed a finger across his wounds. His long sleeves and pants had hidden all of the minor cuts and bruises from his brawl in the bar. Now they were revealed in all their glory.  
  
"Ranma, how did you get so many cuts and abrasions? These look fresh."  
  
"They are. I fought some of Mr. Nishiguchi's men this morning."  
  
Her head shot up and she blinked in disbelief. "YOU fought some of his men? You're only a child!"  
  
He shrugged his left shoulder, the pack rising slightly. "There were only four of them. I didn't quite knock the first one out, and forgot about him, or he wouldn't have gotten me."  
  
"So you got him down and turned away, then he attacked you in the back?"  
  
"No, I threw a knife in his shoulder and he fell. He shut up after a few minutes, and I thought he was out cold. I took care of the other three, and had just finished them when the guy got up and got me from behind then."  
  
Ranma nearly lost his blank expression to an amused smirk. Ms. Naomi gaped at him for several long minutes and the stoic guards actually glanced between each other and Ranma.  
  
Ranma glanced to the stairs Ms. Naomi had come down. "Is that where my room is?"  
  
Ms. Naomi looked over her shoulder then back to Ranma and stood. "Y—yes. Follow me, Ranma."  
  
They went upstairs and turned left. They stopped at the second door, with one other door past his on either side of the hallway. The hallway ended with a guard posted in front of a window. Ms. Naomi glanced at her watch.  
  
"It's three now. Dinner's at six thirty, so I'll be back then to pick you up. Do you have anything . . . nicer than those?"  
  
Ranma glanced down at his clothes and back to her, his face remaining expressionless. "You mean clean and without rips?" She nodded. "Nope. I only have one other set of clothes in the bag, and they're pretty much the same."  
  
She sighed. "Then put your bag in the room. We're going shopping."  
  
  
  
Ranma sighed and contained his urge to fidget. Ms. Naomi flipped through display after display of nearly identical shirts. Occasionally she would hold one up to him, but she generally ignored him. He passed his time by running through some mental exercises, but he'd gone through everything he knew at least twice in the last two hours.  
  
He stopped his exercise and turned to the window. The car they'd arrived in was parked on the curb. It was a shiny white limo with all kinds of luxury items inside. Ranma had acted all cool and calm when he'd seen the car and been told to hop in. That had changed when he saw the television, refrigerator, laptop, and cellphone.  
  
Ms. Naomi had chuckled and pointed everything out to him. Ranma turned to study the older woman. She was very nice, and extremely smart. When Ranma told her a brief version of his story, she'd asked about his travels. Ranma would mention everything from major landmarks to little-known attractions. She'd seen or heard of most of them.  
  
She finally held up half a dozen shirts of varying styles. Most of them were white, but there were some other colors as well. He looked at the red shirt on the display next to him. He smiled softly and reached out to finger the soft material. He realized that the entire display was of Chinese clothing.   
  
Ms. Naomi turned to ask if there was anything else he liked, and saw him smiling at the shirt. She smiled and held a finger up to make the clerk wait. The man knew Ms. Naomi, since she brought her other charge here often. Ms. Naomi walked over to Ranma and smiled down at him softly.  
  
"Do you like Chinese style clothing? We can get you some, if you like."  
  
Ranma looked up at her, then turned to the stack of clothing on the counter. "It looks like you've already gotten plenty. I've never owned that many shirts in my life."  
  
"But you do like them?"  
  
He nodded, "Yes, but—"  
  
"Perfect!" She pulled up the smallest of the shirts and held it next to him. It was made of brilliant scarlet satin with long sleeves and golden frog closures. She'd heard that foreign styles were going to be big this year, and the style somehow suited Ranma.  
  
She also grabbed a pair of black pants and added them to the stack on the counter. After they paid for their purchases, Ranma grabbed the bags. Ms. Naomi always tried to grab the bags (this was the fourth store they'd been to today), but Ranma always ended up carrying them.  
  
As soon as they were outside, Ranma headed over to the limo. Ms. Naomi placed a light hand on his shoulder and shook her head.  
  
"No, there's one store just down there I want to go to first."  
  
Ranma nodded and followed. He walked next to the street, since Ms. Naomi seemed to enjoy the window displays. They passed a couple stores and an alley when something felt wrong to Ranma. He heard a shriek and dropped the bag. A dozen gang members were pouring out of the alley and surrounding Ms. Naomi and himself.  
  
Ranma pulled roughly on her arm and she flew behind him. She crawled backwards and yelled at him, "Run, Ranma!"  
  
When the first man moved, Ranma attacked. In a flurry of kicks and punches, the men went down. One had had some serious training with a knife, and managed to slice up Ranma's shirt. He didn't break skin, however, and Ranma made sure the man regretted ruining the shirt.  
  
When all the men were out cold, Ranma turned to the bag of clothes on the sidewalk. Surrounding people in the crowd applauded, but Ranma ignored them. He'd become immune to applause at the bar. He reached into the bag and pulled out the top shirt. He studied the red satin briefly before changing into it.  
  
As soon as he was in the new shirt, Ranma turned and helped Ms. Naomi to her feet. She'd crawled over to a mailbox at some point in the fight, and had been huddling there. She stared at him in awe.  
  
"Ranma, how?"  
  
He looked steadily into her eyes. "I'm a martial artist Ms. Naomi. That's why Nishiguchi wants me so bad. He attacked the man that's looked after me for the past year in order to get me. He's going to train me to be a bodyguard or something."  
  
"Oh Ranma." She hugged him close just as the chauffeur from the limo showed up. She knew he was also a fighter. She was the only one employed by Nishiguchi that didn't have some fighting skills. She was thankful for the quiet boy that had been brought to her. If only she could break that calm façade . . .  
  
  
  
Ranma was sent to his room to get ready for dinner as soon as he and Ms. Naomi returned. He closed the door firmly behind him and looked around. Although the room had beautiful paneled walls of a deep cherry and a matching dresser and canopy bed, that was all there was. The room was downright empty.  
  
It was also large. If he moved the bed to one corner and the dresser to another, he'd have plenty of room for his morning workouts. His bedchamber was larger than the bar had been, and he also had his own sitting room and an elaborate bathroom. Ms. Nishiguchi said that the water to his bathroom had a leaky pipe, and that's why he'd taken his bath in the guest's bath.  
  
Ranma shrugged at his abrupt leap in living quarters. His closet here was larger than his cubby in the alley where he'd lived for over six months. Ranma took his new clothes and put them in the walk-in closet.   
  
On a whim, he pushed the dresser in there as well. That gave him more room to workout in his room. He was shocked when he saw all the clothes that had been purchased for him. Why would anyone need so many shirts? He now had more pairs of shoes than days in the week, and hecouldn't see the point in half of them.  
  
He shrugged and tried to decide what to wear. Since he was already in the Chinese shirt, why not go for the whole outfit? He was still wearing the jeans that Boss had sent with him, and they were all torn and bloody. He hoped it would be alright to wear that outfit, since he knew nothing of social etiquette.  
  
Now in clean clothes, he wandered through his rooms. The bathroom and sitting room were to the right when you entered the bedroom from the hall. The closet was farthest from the interior of the house, running along the outside wall of the house. The bathroom was in the middle of the three, and basically a smaller version of the one he'd bathed in earlier that day.  
  
The sitting room was the most interesting. It could be entered from his bedroom or the hallway. It had a fireplace made of that white marble that was so prevalent in the house, and was paneled in the same cherry as his bedroom. There was a painting over the mantle of a Chinese vase containing roses. There were a dozen white rose buds and a single black rose that was centered and blooming in the arrangement.  
  
All in all, the painting disturbed Ranma. He turned to look at the furniture. Antique black and white pinstriped couches and a pair of white wingback chairs were scattered about, with a few small tables as well. There was an odd cabinet on one wall, and Ranma examined it.  
  
The top half opened to reveal a television, and the bottom half had a large selection of alcohol. He had no great fondness for either, and closed both once more. He scanned the room and went back to his bedroom and through it to the bathroom. He studied his reflection.  
  
He was clean and dressed in satin. Aside from a messy ponytail, he would be able to pass as a spoiled rich kid. Deciding he might as well take care of the hair part, he braided it tightly. He looked at himself again. Definitely a spoiled rich kid appearance.   
  
There was a knock on his door and he headed through his room to meet Ms. Naomi.  
  
  
  
Nishiguchi sat at the head of the table, Ranma and Ms. Naomi to either side. Nishiguchi had spent the meal telling Ranma his class schedule with Ms. Naomi and describing the many 'great places Ranma would enjoy here'. Ranma nodded at the appropriate places, only perking up near the end.  
  
"I've arranged for you to have an audience with a good friend of mine tomorrow. He's a Kempo Master that will be training you for awhile."  
  
Kempo? How disappointing! Ranma was hoping for something new. Oh well, he was a master. "Where and when will I meet the honored master?"  
  
Nishiguchi chuckled, "Why, in my private dojo of course. My son is a talented martial artist and insisted on having a dojo. You'll go behind the house tomorrow at seven. You can't miss the dojo. It's the only outbuilding made in the traditional Japanese style."  
  
Ranma nodded slowly in thought. "May I go tonight to see it?"  
  
"You may go anywhere you wish, boy! You live here now!"  
  
Ranma smiled in anticipation.  
  
  
  
Two hours before dawn, Ranma was getting out of bed. He went through his new clothes, discovering a distinct lack of outfits suitable for martial arts. He finally settled on the Chinese clothes, since they allowed more movement. He rolled the sleeves up and tied the ankles of the pants to keep them from flapping around during practice.  
  
He did a few quick stretches before a couple quick katas. He had hours yet before he was   
  
scheduled to meet this master. Why were they starting so late? Ranma figured it was to give   
  
Ranma time to get warmed up, and headed outside. He began his workout with a jog.  
  
He lapped the house several times before spotting a large, walled in space. He hopped onto the twelve-foot wall and scanned the interior happily. It was an intricate garden with paths and streams with little bridges. In fact, it was a perfect place to train!  
  
Ranma jumped from the wall and took off down one path. He hopped onto a statue's head and then jumped over the stream to a cluster of several small trees. He swung around on branches before launching himself down another path. He used an arbor for chin-ups, some tunnel of latticework for monkey bars, and the railings on the bridges for balance. He nearly lost track of the time.  
  
He had decided not to go all out and save energy for the workout with the master he was to train under. Not even breathing hard, he arrived at the personal dojo that was situated oddly behind the large mansion. It didn't seem to fit in with the European Tudor style architecture, but Ranma didn't care. He hadn't practiced in a real dojo in a long while.  
  
He stepped inside and immediately saw the man. He was somewhere in his late thirties or early forties with a short beard and wearing a gi. The two bowed to each other before the man introduced himself.  
  
"Greetings young one. I am Master Chou, and I'll be training you for a while. Tell me, do you know much Kempo?"  
  
Ranma nodded and sat on the floor across from Master Chou as the man gestured. "Yes, Master. I am heir to the Soatome School of Anything Goes, which is based mostly on Kempo."  
  
The man seemed surprised and nodded. "Excellent. Why don't you show me what you know?"  
  
That evening, Master Chou approached Mr. Nishiguchi. He stated that the boy needed no training from the likes of such a feeble old man, only guidance and discipline. The two men conversed until Master Chou left to teach an evening class at the dojo that was sponsoring his stay in the area.  
  
For three months, Chou taught Ranma how to discipline the mind and spirit to achieve perfect calm in the direst circumstances. From there, they moved onto minor Ki manipulation, which was all the man knew. He hinted that there were greater goals that Ranma should search for, but revealed little.  
  
After three short and happy months, Chou said farewell to his student, asking that Ranma seek him out in the years to come. Ranma received directions to the man's school in China and swore to visit one day. From then on, the masters became stricter and more difficult to impress.  
  
  
  
Ranma finished his workout in the dojo and wiped   
  
the sweat from his brow. He appears older, around   
  
eleven, and it doesn't seem like his year of   
  
undernourishment after his father's death has done   
  
any harm. He is tall and muscular for his age, wide   
  
shoulders filling the gi well.  
  
He straightens and turns to leave. An eighteen-  
  
year-old boy is leaning against the doorway of the   
  
dojo, apparently observing Ranma's training. Ranma   
  
has, of course, known of the boy's presence, but   
  
simply bows respectfully.  
  
The boy is Jaxom Nishiguchi, Ranma's boss's son. He is much older than Ranma, with long silver hair tied in a loose ponytail. He has a narrow face that is nearly pretty rather than handsome, and his father's piercing gaze. He had been away for the first few months of Ranma's stay here, living away at a prestigious school.  
  
"Master Jaxom." Ranma starts to walk past.  
  
"Hold." Ranma stops, but keeps his blank gaze straight ahead. "I've been training. Perhaps you would like a spar?"  
  
Ranma nearly groaned. The older boy often trained, but not as diligently as Ranma. He maybe spent two days a week in the dojo, whereas Ranma was up before the sun each day to train before breakfast and in the dojo every evening after dinner as well.  
  
"If you wish, Master Jaxom."  
  
They squared off in the center of the dojo. Ranma waited until Jaxom attacked before taking a stance. He dodged all the blows, not even moving his fists. After several minutes, he threw a single punch.  
  
Jaxom flew into the wall, cracking the expensive paneling. Ranma jogged over to help the boy up, but Jaxom slapped his hand away. He stood by pushing himself up with one hand, the other hand holding his eye.   
  
Ranma winced. He should have held the punch more. Jaxom could make Ranma's life miserable if he had a black eye staining his good looks. Ranma apologized profusely, but Jaxom simply turned and left the room. When the room was empty, Ranma smirked. Jaxom was quite possible the most annoying soul in Ranma's life.  
  
  
  
Ranma and Ms. Naomi were walking down the street early one morning. He was reciting his lessons while she did some shopping. She insisted that this area had the street vendors with the best and freshest produce, so they usually came here. Ranma was working his way through the particulars of some obscure laws of physics when he stopped next to a familiar face.  
  
"Ucchan?" He smiled at the brown haired youth working the booth.   
  
Startled eyes blinked up at him for a moment. "Ranchan? Is it really you?"  
  
"Yeah! I haven't seen you in ages! When was it we last played together? It's been forever! What are you up to?" He grasped the smaller youth by the shoulders.  
  
Ucchan blinked, "I've been looking for you."  
  
  
  
It was nearly an hour before Ranma stopped apologizing. Ucchan sadly laid a hand on his. "It's alright. It was a misunderstanding. We've obviously both changed a lot."  
  
Ranma smiled brightly and she couldn't resist doing the same. Saya looked between the two children with a worried expression. She glanced down at her watch and blinked.  
  
"Oh dear. Ranma, go fetch the driver, will you? I'll keep your little friend company for now."  
  
Ranma was the epitome of a disappointed child. He looked over at his childhood friend. He'd known her because she'd gone to school near where Boss's kids had gone. They'd met pretty regularly to play. He sighed. "I gotta go now Ucchan. Why don't you come visit me sometime, if you can. Ms. Naomi can give you the address."  
  
With her excited nod, he ran off to fetch the driver and have the car brought around. Ms. Naomi smiled and knelt down to the child's level. Ucchan blinked once in confusion.  
  
"Ukyo, do you know who the Tokyo roses are?"  
  
  
  
Ukyo waved sadly as her best friend ever drove away. Ms. Naomi had said that Ranma was with the gangsters that had killed her father. It wasn't his fault, and he didn't want to be there, but Ms. Naomi thought it would be better if Ukyo didn't come visit Ranma. She said it would be dangerous and it wasn't wise for such a talented child to come to the attention of Mr. Nishiguchi.   
  
Ukyo remembered asking her father if she could marry Ranma. He'd told her to ask the boy and his parents. Ukyo had skipped happily off to where she was supposed to meet Ranma for their spar. He hadn't shown up, and now Ukyo knew why. Ms. Naomi said that it must have been right after The Black Rose kidnapped Ranma.   
  
He sad frown turned determined. With clenched fists she made a vow. One day Ranma would be free of the Tokyo Roses. Then Ukyo would find him again.  
  
  
  
Ranma nibbled lightly on his steak. He hadn't eaten much at all in the last week, but he had his reasons. He would convince Ms. Naomi to take him to the mall tomorrow, where he could eat all the junk he wanted at the food court.  
  
"Ranma." His head jerked up as Nishiguchi said his name.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Nishiguchi?"  
  
"Have you been studying the information I gave you last month?"  
  
"Of course, Mr. Nishiguchi."  
  
"Good. Come to my office tomorrow morning at nine."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Nishiguchi."  
  
Ms. Naomi looked warily between the two men. This meant trouble.  
  
  
  
Ranma sat patiently next to Nishiguchi's secretary the next morning at two minutes 'til nine. She smiled encouragingly at him every so often, but otherwise ignored him. The small gray box on the corner of her desk beeped, and she pressed a button.  
  
"Yes, sir?"  
  
"Send the boy in."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
She waved him in with a smile, and Ranma got up and walked to the heavy double doors. He knew that they were actually steel with wood on the outside, but that was for Nishiguchi's protection. He pushed on the doors and they opened easily for someone his size, closing them behind him. He stood there, waiting for Nishiguchi to tell him to approach.  
  
"Come boy, sit." He waved to the padded leather chair before his large wooden desk.  
  
Ranma sat silently, waiting.  
  
"For the past two years, I've given you the best tutors and superb martial arts training. It is time you paid me back."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Are you willing to work for me, as you promised, as a bodyguard?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Good. You say you studied the police procedures I gave you, so now you will be given over to train under one of my men. You will work with him and my other guards on whatever jobs I assign them until you are ready to go out on your own. Understood?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
  
  
The next year passed quickly for Ranma. As the best fighter on the complex, it was his job to see to the training of Nishiguchi's men when he wasn't learning himself. He learned many important things. Particularly how to be a mobster. He hated every minute of the threatening and beating, but at least he wasn't the one being beat for a change.  
  
He was becoming well known to the upper class of Tokyo and its many wards as the White Dragon. He was a twelve-year-old in a white suit that could kill a man in a single swipe, unarmed. Ranma wasn't crazy about the tailored suits that restricted movement, but they were Nishiguchi's trademarks.  
  
On the lapel of each suit was a very small ring of embroidered roses. The white buds were tiny and delicate, with a large, fully bloomed black rose on the 'top' of the round design. Ranma understood the significance of his white suits and Nishiguchi's black ones.   
  
He'd learned that soon after seeing the odd attire of Nishiguchi and his men when they brought Ranma from the bar. Ms. Naomi said that Nishiguchi never wore anything but black, and his men almost always wore white on the job. They only wore something else if they were undercover, and still they had to have the black rose emblem on their person.  
  
Ranma was going to dinner at that very moment. He maneuvered the intricate halls with ease, nodding to the guards he knew. He entered the dining room and nodded to Ms. Naomi. She smiled softly in return as Ranma sat to Nishiguchi's left.  
  
Jaxom, to his father's right, glared. He'd lost to Ranma once again that morning, and had a black eye and a small scratch on his cheek to prove it. They began immediately on their meal, each silent.  
  
A few minutes later, Nishiguchi got Ranma's attention. "Ranma, I want you to begin packing. I'm sending you to the states to work on a business acquisition of mine there. You leave tomorrow evening, and will be there indefinitely. Pack appropriately."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Ranma picked at the delicacy on his plate. He rarely ate much at dinner anymore. He hadn't since the night Ms. Naomi got sick and the serving girl gave Ranma her plate by accident. He had noticed a distinct difference from how the particular course usually tasted then.  
  
"But tomorrow morning I have a quick job for you to do. The file will be waiting outside your chamber door."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Ms. Naomi rested her fork on the side of the plate and didn't eat anything the rest of the evening.  
  
  
  
Ranma had found the new assignment . . .   
  
disturbing. It was far simpler than what he'd been   
  
given lately. As soon as he'd been taught   
  
subterfuge and secrecy, he'd been sent out as an   
  
assassin for Nishiguchi. Since then, he'd taken out   
  
several naughty mobsters and corrupt politicians.  
  
This latest job was stupidly simple. A young man with no important features or ties owed a business friend of Nishiguchi's a gambling debt. It wasn't even seven figures. Ranma wondered why that pidly amount was worthy of the man's death,but decided he didn't care.  
  
He had been given a list of the target's haunts, and glanced at his watch. Lunch time. Time for the White Dragon to head to the café at the top of the list.  
  
  
  
Ranma entered and scanned the room. The man behind the counter was one of the many business owners that paid protection fees to Nishiguchi, and seemed frightened by Ranma's white suit. In the fancy clothes and shades, Ranma appeared older than he was. His height helped, so few noticed the oddly dressed youth.  
  
It proved true once more, because the target didn't even look up. He ate a sandwich and fries slowly, so Ranma ordered coffee. He didn't even sip it, waiting patiently until the man got up and headed for the cash register. As the target walked past, Ranma reached back and hit a pressure point.   
  
He caught the slightly larger man and threw him over his shoulder. He threw some money on the counter; more than enough for both orders. He mentally made a note that if he ever ordered something to give his presence legitimacy, at least make it something he liked. Ranma hated coffee.  
  
Two hours later, the man was in a shallow grave tucked into the countryside outside Tokyo.   
  
Ranma hefted his bags. He had several suits and an equal number of his preferred Chinese outfits stashed into the larger bags. He was also bringing weapons, files, and other items essential to his 'job'. He withheld a sigh. One day, he'd be free.  
  
He had just arrived in New York City, and was carrying his baggage into the penthouse suite that Nishiguchi kept for his infrequent stays in the states. He quickly stowed his things away in the suite's closets and pulled out the files he'd been sent with.  
  
Most of his targets couldn't be taken care of until he'd approached them, and several weren't expected back in the country for several weeks, if not months. After reading each file and arranging them in some sort of chronological order, he went to bed. This was going to be a long stay away from home.  
  
  
  
Ranma stepped out of the taxi. He'd been sent to several of Nishiguchi's foreign businesses over the last two and a half years. He'd regretted his recent stay in Korea, but now he'd been told that he could return as soon as he was ready. He'd left that evening.  
  
He had ordered most of his baggage to be sent later and grabbed the one bag he felt would be most essential for the night. He paid the taxi and punched in the security code he'd been assigned years ago. Nearly fifteen now, it was hard to believe how fast things had happened.  
  
He walked up the drive and pushed the front door open. Four guards were stationed just inside the doors, and they immediately pounced on him. As he hit their pressure points, he noticed that he'd never seen any of them. Had Nishiguchi gone through so many men in two short years?  
  
He propped his bag against the door and left the guards piled in the entryway, setting out to Nishiguchi's office. He smiled and waved to the secretary, one employee hadn't changed at least. She returned the smile and waved him over, bringing a silencing finger to her lips.  
  
As Ranma reached her desk, she said, "It's good to see you again! Mr. Nishiguchi is on the phone with someone very important, but he should be done soon."  
  
"That's fine. I can wait."  
  
At that moment, the doors swung in toward Nishiguchi's office as the man stepped out. He caught Ranma's eye with surprise before grinning. As he spoke, he sent a glance to the outer door that led to the hallway.  
  
"Ranma my boy! I'm glad you made it so quickly. I need to see you in the office. Hold my calls." The last statement was sent to the overworked secretary, who nodded briefly.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Ranma followed Nishiguchi into his office, closing the doors. He looked at them critically for a moment. "Sir? I would recommend changing the hinges on these doors. If someone tried to break in, it would be easier to charge them if they opened the direction that they were heading."  
  
Nishiguchi looked at the doors in shock. "You know, I never thought of that. I'll take care of it immediately. Now Ranma, I lost a lot of my men recently. I've replaced their numbers, but few have any decent training. I'd like you to start teaching them in small clusters tomorrow."  
  
"Yes sir. I'll arrange lists with your secretary when I leave."  
  
"Good. I also need you to take care of a few things within the week. They'll probably be dark jobs."  
  
Ranma nodded, working was always easier at night. "Of course, sir." He accepted the files and glanced at the names. They were all three politicians.  
  
"Now, how were your travels?"  
  
"The states were dull, actually. There weren't any real challenges, and the jobs were over before schedule. Mexico was brief, I was only there for a week. Which is probably good, since I don't speak any Spanish. Vietnam and Europe were better, and took a little longer than Mexico. China and Korea were pretty fun, actually."  
  
"Fun?" He wondered at that, since the boy was sent there to kill people.  
  
"Not the work, the time I spent between jobs. Some of the targets were on vacation or out of the country on work, so I had to wait for them to return. While I did, I sought out some martial artists and learned a few tricks."  
  
"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Oh, Jaxom requested a spar as soon as you arrived. Would you mind?"  
  
"Of course not. I should probably get unpacked first though. How about after dinner?"  
  
"Fine. He's out at the moment anyway, if I'm remembering correctly. Well, I have things to do. I'll see you at dinner."  
  
"Of course, sir."  
  
Ranma stood and left the office. He divided the lists of new guards into workable classes and set up a schedule for them to arrive at the dojo. After a couple classes, he'd divide them up by skill. Until then, this would do. Business over with, Ranma sought out Ms. Naomi.  
  
  
  
Saya was sitting on one of the benches in the walled garden. She had little to do with Ranma away and Jaxom in college. She wondered why she was still on the payroll, but didn't question the way of things. When she'd signed on all those years ago, it was strictly stated that she should never question Mr. Nishiguchi.  
  
As it was, Saya was frightened. She didn't know what Mr. Nishiguchi did, but she knew it was illegal. She hoped she wasn't doing anything wrong by staying here, but she was afraid to leave. She was rarely out of the compound, and hardly ever without a guard.  
  
Lord Jaxom was the really frightening part. He'd approached her on several occasions in the last couple of months, and it was hard to avoid him, even in the extensive space of Mr. Nishiguchi's land. She tried her best, but wished Ranma would arrive soon.  
  
She smiled softly. Ranma was her pride and joy. She thought of him as a nephew or the son of a dear friend. He was so sweet, and in a position rather similar to hers. She knew he feared leaving, but never would he admit to any weakness. He was so prideful!  
  
She smiled expectantly. Mr. Nishiguchi said that Ranma would be returning soon, and Saya couldn't wait for her favorite student to return. She was looking at the book in her hand and smiling when there was suddenly a presence beside her. She looked up with a gasp, which turned to a smile.  
  
"Ranma! When did you return?" She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.  
  
"Just a few minutes ago. I threw my bags in my room and came to find you."  
  
She pulled back and smiled. "I didn't expect you so soon! Would you like to go shopping with me this afternoon? We have so much to catch up on!"  
  
Ranma saw the warning glint in her eye and the careful wording. He nodded slowly. "Of course! I'm free until dinner, and we have a few hours."  
  
"Let's go then."  
  
They headed for the garage, and Ranma hopped into the driver seat of a shiny red convertible. "Come on! I learned several great things on my travels." He wiggled an eyebrow and grinned. Saya couldn't help but laugh. It was so good to have him back.  
  
  
  
Saya pulled the credit card from her purse and handed it to the cashier. It was standard procedure for all of Mr. Nishiguchi's top employees to have a credit card with an extreme limit. Ranma had several cards himself, which had been given to him soon after his initial arrival all those years ago.  
  
They gathered their purchases and found seats in the park near the stores they'd just shopped at. Ranma sat down with a worried look.  
  
"Now, what have I missed?"  
  
She chewed her lip, wringing her hands in her lap before reaching up to play with her cameo brooch. "Oh Ranma! It's awful. Nearly everybody except for you, the maids, Mr. Nishiguchi's secretary, and me have been replaced. He knew you were coming home soon, but didn't tell anyone but Jaxom and me."  
  
"I'm surprised you weren't attacked when you showed up on the grounds! In fact, I'd almost say that was the idea."  
  
He nodded sagely, "I was attacked, but I went through the front door where there are less guards. I noticed that none of them were familiar."  
  
"It all started right after you left. Mr. Nishiguchi put Jaxom over the guards, and Lord Jaxom changed their training. We started losing guards because of stupid mistakes. He would send weak guards on some jobs, and not enough on the really tough ones."  
  
"But why? Why didn't Nishiguchi say anything?"  
  
"Because it was on purpose! I heard him one day telling Lord Jaxom to speed it up, that they still had too many original guards and not much more time. They said that 'He' was too rebellious, and it would be tough to get rid of 'Him' with so many of 'His' friends still here."  
  
"And you think I'm 'Him'?"  
  
"I'm sure of it! Everything you taught the guards about honor and restraint, Lord Jaxom taught the opposite. Stressing survival and making sure the job was done quickly and thoroughly."  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"Yes. I think I'm followed when I leave the house. Not by Mr. Nishiguchi's men, they're always right there with me. Someone else trails us. I don't think the guards know though, because they never say anything."  
  
Police? Government? Who else would trail an employee of Tokyo's king of crime? He'd be careful. "I did notice a presence, but it left halfway through our shopping. I have a sparring match with Jaxom tonight. Maybe they'll try something then."  
  
"Oh no, I don't think so. You've always been better than Lord Jaxom has and they know it. They'll have to get a lot of guards together to beat you."  
  
Ranma wasn't really worried. The guards hadn't had any serious training from Jaxom, or he wouldn't have gotten through the guards so easily that afternoon. He looked up at Ms. Naomi, who was staring at him in worry.   
  
If anything happened, he was worried about her. If Ranma tried to get her away before he was attacked (it wasn't a matter of if, Nishiguchi was getting senile and Jaxom obviously had more control. Everyone knew Jaxom was jealous of Ranma.), They would be hunted twice as hard and she'd be in danger. If he tried to get her out after he attacked, they'd be even angrier with him, and it would be worse.  
  
The only option was to hope that they didn't realize what she meant to him and left her alone. Now Ranma was worried.  
  
  
  
Ranma swirled his wine. It was good, but he was careful not to drink too much. Nishiguchi cleared his throat.  
  
"Ranma? When is your first class tomorrow?"  
  
Jaxom frowned, glaring evilly at Ranma. Ranma ignored him, "Nine. I see no need in changing the work shifts you already have them on."  
  
"Meet me in my office at eight then." Ranma nodded, and noticed that Nishiguchi sent Jaxom a warning look. Jaxom smirked and picked up his glass, swirling his own wine just as Ranma had.  
  
  
  
Ranma had phoned the airport and requested that his baggage be held there until tomorrow, when he'd pick it up. He went through the things he had with him. He had one suit and several of his Chinese outfits. He pulled out an all black set of the Chinese silk and laid it out for the next day.  
  
He was proficient with quite a few weapons, but still preferred unarmed combat. He chose to leave all his weapons behind. He wore his watch, but tore it apart to be sure there were no tracking devices. Secure in that, he put it back together.  
  
He went to the dojo, but was told by a guard that Jaxom begged off of their spar. It seemed Lord Jaxom had a headache. Ranma returned to his room. He'd already checked the room for bugs and cameras, so he went to sleep. He expected a long day ahead of him.  
  
  
  
Ranma rose before dawn the next day and went through his usual exercises in the dojo and garden. Checking his watch, he saw that it was nearly eight. He jogged to the house, taking a slow pace to the door to Nishiguchi's office. He'd been careful not to tax himself that morning, only warming up.  
  
He reached for the ornate knob. The door to the office was strangely locked. Ranma frowned at that, jiggling it once again. Nishiguchi had always entered his office at seven in the morning on the dot. It was never locked except for when Nishiguchi ate lunch. Was the man taking later hours than he used to?  
  
Ranma leaned cautiously against the wall beside the door. He pulled one leg up, holding the knee in both hands as he thought. Would it be now? He forced himself to keep his face neutral. No, this was far too obvious. He'd simply wait for Nishiguchi or his secretary to come open the door.  
  
He closed his eyes and concentrated on his latest mental exercises. He felt energy flowing around him, and patiently identified each type. He could feel the solidity of the marble floor, and the slickness of the wooden banister to the stairs at the other end of the hall.  
  
Then there was a moving energy. It was a rapid, unnatural movement of steel, and Ranma's eyes shot open. He allowed his supporting leg to drop from beneath him, holding the other leg up still. As he hit the floor, he put the bent leg down and crossed it over the straight one. As he stood, he turned to let his legs uncross. This also gave him the convenient chance to observe his attacker.  
  
Or attackers, as the case was. A gray suit disappeared around the corner as thirty or so white suited guards suddenly converged in the hallway. Ranma leapt into action, dodging attacks and launching his own.  
  
  
  
Nishiguchi sat behind his desk. His office was empty aside from himself. He watched a monitor as the best guards under his employ swallowed the image of Ranma. As the boy disappeared from sight, Nishiguchi turned the monitor off.  
  
He pulled a yellow folder toward him, the tab in the top left reading 'Soatome, Ranma'. He opened it and flipped through a few pages. With a sigh he dropped it into the designer tin trashcan beside his desk and stood.   
  
He walked over to a seemingly empty wall and flipped a switch. A panel slid aside to reveal a bar. He reached in and pulled out a cigar box. He took a book of matches from the box and walked over to the trashcan.  
  
He sighed and looked at the open file inside. The front flap had opened as the pile of papers fell in, revealing a photo of a younger Ranma.   
  
"Sorry boy, but you didn't work out. You did what you were ordered to do, but nothing else. You should have been the most loyal of my people, but I read your basic personality all wrong. I couldn't trust you." Nishiguchi shook his head and lit a match. He moved the match slowly over the can.  
  
Suddenly the doors to his office flew in. The fact that they flew inward shocked Nishiguchi more than anything else. They just weren't supposed to move that way anymore since he'd heeded Ranma's warning and ordered the hinges changed last night. He dropped the match as he saw Ranma in the doorway. The huge double doors were barely hanging by their hinges as Ranma stood there, glowing softly.  
  
Glowing? That was Nishiguchi's last thought before he was consumed painfully by a dark and everlasting night.  
  
  
  
Ranma was dazed as he stumbled off the grounds. He'd fought every guard he'd come across on his way out, but never saw Jaxom. He made it to the street and happened to see a taxi approaching. Ranma made it there in one leap and hopped inside. He told the man to drive to a hotel that was outside Nishiguchi's most loyal territory.  
  
He was thankful that he still had his wallet, and paid the man. He paid for a room for the night and phoned the airport. His baggage arrived within the hour, and Ranma sighed. It was over. He'd be out of the country within the next few days.  
  
He decided he needed to wind down and go for a walk. He thought there was a small park nearby, and headed out. He strolled through the park, but found himself too jumpy. He sat heavily in a park bench that faced the street. He knew he had to do something. If Jaxom went unchecked, Ranma would be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life.  
  
He brought his head up and found himself staring at a phone booth. A slow smile formed and he was up like a shot. He walked to the crosswalk and waited patiently for the traffic cop to wave him forward. Ranma thanked the man as he passed, getting an odd look from the man.  
  
Ranma ducked into the booth and phoned the police.  
  
  
  
Chad glared at the assembly of policemen in front of him. They'd basically told him that Nishiguchi had escaped their grasp once more. He sighed and waved them out. He jerked his head up as a rookie ran into the swinging doors.  
  
"Sir! We just had an anonymous report about Nishiguchi!"  
  
"Finally! Trace the call!"  
  
"Done sir!"   
  
"Then send someone there to find the informant. Every other available cop is to head to Nishiguchi's! We finally have an excuse!"  
  
  
  
The raid went surprisingly well. They simply drove up and stormed the place. They found nearly thirty men unconscious in the entry hall, and immediately made enough positive id's to justify their presence. When Jaxom Nishiguchi ran in demanding an explanation, he was arrested for harboring wanted criminals.  
  
Chad was overseeing Jaxom's deposit into the back of a cruiser when an officer approached him with a phone.   
  
"Sir? The call was made from a phone booth. A traffic cop on the corner reports an odd young man in black foreign looking clothes made a short call there at the appropriate time. He's young, in his teens, with blue or gray eyes and black hair in a braided pigtail. The same man is now sitting on a park bench across the street."  
  
"Order the man watched for now, but nothing more."  
  
"Yes sir!"  
  
Another officer came up to him from a room off the main hallway. "Sir? I think you need to see this."  
  
Chad turned and entered the room. They passed the empty desk and approached a set of doors that had been knocked from their hinges. Chad glanced at them and was about to order them studied when he saw a body, specifically the black and blue broken corpse of Nishiguchi, A.K.A. Black Nishiguchi. Chad knelt next to the man, not bothering to look for a pulse.  
  
"That's not all sir." The man pointed to a trashcan. Inside lay a file folder that was overflowing with papers and reports. On top of a photo was a burnt match, light singe marks surrounding it. The charred spot was just below the chin of a young teen with black hair tied in a pigtail.  
  
"Get that traffic cop on the phone, now!"  
  
  
  
Ranma smiled softly as the traffic cop glanced at him again. He'd been doing it for several minutes, but was trying to look discreet. Ranma shook his head and stood. Just then, the cop looked worried and glanced over his shoulder. Ranma nearly swore.  
  
He realized that the one cop wasn't alone after all as several cruisers suddenly raced around the corner. Officers on foot seemed to come from nowhere, and Ranma realized that they'd used the back entrances to the stores across the street.  
  
He heard a familiar whooshing sound and smelled a bitter smoke. He cursed as he turned toward the park's interior. There were other cops there, and they were the ones shooting the gas. It just happened to be a gas that Ranma hadn't worked up immunity to yet. He glanced around and found cops surrounding him.   
  
He'd just gotten free, and wasn't about to do something stupid like going to jail. Attacking a cop wouldn't help. He jumped into the large tree directly above him. He immediately realized his mistake as his feet touched the limb.  
  
The thick foliage had acted as an umbrella, concentrating the gas as it rose. He was now completely surrounded by the poison and getting woozy with no place to go. He felt his limbs go weak as he prepared to jump to another tree, but the dark emptiness of unconsciousness slammed into him before he could do anything.  
  
  
  
One week later, Chad stepped into the elevator that a police officer was holding for him. He nodded and the young woman pressed a button. The doors closed and Chad felt himself rising. He flipped through the file in his hands. The entire thing, as thick as it was, was devoted to one Ranma Soatome.  
  
It contained government records as well as those that Nishiguchi had supplied accidentally. It made Chad's job much easier. The elevator stopped and Chad stepped out without even looking up. He walked down the long and empty corridor, stopping at the last room on the right.  
  
He showed the officer his id and submitted to a retina scan. Then he punched in the code on the keypad by the door and slid a card through the slot. The door unlocked with a click and Chad opened it.  
  
He closed it behind himself, not looking away from the profiled body in the hospital bed before him. A young boy of fourteen lay there in the dark, windowless room, barely breathing. This young child was the dreaded White Dragon? He wasn't old enough to drive!  
  
"I know what you're thinking."  
  
Chad jerked ever so slightly. He would have sworn that the boy was asleep.  
  
"You're wondering how this little boy could be a killer, right?"  
  
Chad sat in the chair next to the bed. "Actually, no. We have enough evidence against you. Besides, you have quite a reputation. Some say you're invincible."  
  
Ranma snorted. "You know better than that."  
  
"Oh, do I?"  
  
Ranma finally opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Chad skeptically. "Oh, please. I've been forced to study police procedure since I was eleven. Before you came in here, you knew everything that is known about me; including medical records of every scar and broken bone. Up to and including the one that was never set." He turned his head to watch the ceiling once more.  
  
Chad chuckled. "Touché."  
  
"So, which are you?"  
  
"Which what?"  
  
"Are you a cop or a lawyer? If you're my court appointed lawyer, I don't need one. I'll pay for my own."  
  
"Who said you needed a lawyer? I haven't read you your rights."  
  
"So you're a cop."  
  
"You could say that. As to the other, if you do need a lawyer, how do you plan on paying for it? All your wages from Mr. Nishiguchi will of course be confiscated."  
  
"I have my own money. I've entered a few tournaments and such over the years."  
  
"Ah, how interesting."  
  
"Yeah, sure. So, if I'm not under arrest yet, why not tone down the restraints?"  
  
Chad glanced down the length of Ranma's body. He had several black straps over his ankles, wrists, knees, calves, waist, chest, and neck.   
  
"Just because you aren't under arrest doesn't   
  
mean you aren't a dangerous suspect."  
  
Ranma snorted again. "Point. Now care to explain the guards?"  
  
He shrugged, "In case the restraints fail."  
  
"Ahh. So all hospitals are equipped with restraints and video cameras in the flower vases?"  
  
Chad's eyes whipped to the vase and back. How'd he know?  
  
"Don't worry, I figured it out that I'm not in a regular hospital. I've been keeping track of the time mentally. I've only seen one doctor in the last day and a half, and she either works three or four consecutive shifts, or she's the only one allowed to see me."  
  
"You're right, this isn't a hospital. Would you care to answer a few questions?"  
  
"Sure, I ain't got nowhere to go."  
  
"How'd you like Korea?"  
  
"Work or pleasure?"  
  
"Work of course, pertaining to the ambassador specifically."  
  
Ranma frowned. "Poor man. He was good and honest."  
  
"Then why'd you kill him?"  
  
"Survival above all else, that's how I live. If I didn't do as Nishiguchi asked, I'd be killed. If I ran, I'd spend my life looking back."  
  
"So you did kill the ambassador?"  
  
"Of course. Probably all the others you wanna ask about, too."  
  
"Should I just read the list?"  
  
Ranma winced and sat for several minutes without speaking. Finally, he murmured, "I'll testify. Against Nishiguchi, you know."  
  
Chad smirked, "Trying to reduce your sentence?"  
  
Ranma turned back to look at him again, a disapproving look on his face. "Of course not! What good would it do? Reducing the sentence by a few lifetimes won't help. I'll probably just be executed anyway." If I didn't plan on escaping that is.  
  
"That easy huh? You'll just testify as a good deed?"  
  
Ranma nodded as much as he could with a two-inch nylon strap under his chin. "On one condition, maybe two. I would like someone to look out for Ms. Naomi, and I would like to get some compensation to Boss. They helped me out a lot."  
  
Chad looked down at Ranma oddly, recognizing the 'Boss' as the bar owner Ranma'd worked for some time ago. "You don't know?"  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"It seems that Nishiguchi kidnapped Boss's daughter and tortured her to make sure that you never tried to leave and Boss never attempted to get you back."  
  
Ranma clamped his eyes shut. That's what Nishiguchi had meant. He'd said that Boss didn't want him back, that he'd made sure of it. Now it was clear. He let out a shaky breath.  
  
"How is she?"  
  
"She was returned a year and a half after you went with Nishiguchi. They think she'll walk again."  
  
Ranma winced. It was his fault, all his fault. "Is Ms. Naomi alright?"  
  
Chad nodded, "She says she was threatened to stay by Jaxom years ago, subtly. She never did anything illegal, and there are several witnesses to that, so she's free to go. She gets to keep all the wages she earned over the years."  
  
"Good. I hope I get to see her again."  
  
"Tell me Ranma, is that why you stayed? Did you feel threatened?"  
  
"They never came out and said it, no. When I first came to Nishiguchi, he told me how he hated it when people didn't pay off their debts. He repeated that a lot over the years. When he told me one day that it was time I paid him back for my room, food, and training that he'd given me, I understood."  
  
Ranma looked back to Chad, smiling sadly, "After all, I've spent the last three and a half years killing people that owed Nishiguchi 'debts'."  
  
"Was that your job?"  
  
"Of course. I took the dangerous cases. If they were rich and powerful with a lot of guards, they sent me. It was better than sending a whole party of guards that would be killed or caught for questioning."  
  
"But you did feel threatened?"  
  
"Well, yeah, but I'm not using that as an excuse. I could have left anytime I wanted. It just would have been dangerous and delaying the inevitable that one of the Whites found me unaware."  
  
The boy was honorable after all. "Ranma, I'd like to make a proposition." 


	2. Here's Ranma! revised reformatted

It was one month later that Ranma saw his next   
  
target. The man was buying off his opponents to   
  
assure his victories weren't too hard, or too easy,   
  
depending on the opponent. Since the man happened   
  
to work for one of Nishiguchi's old rivals, Ranma   
  
knew a good amount about him.  
  
Ranma had heard he'd be in this tournament, so   
  
he'd immediately signed up. It didn't bother him   
  
that this was such a prestigious tournament, because   
  
he wasn't here to win for once.  
  
He'd always competed under his alias, Ryo Tome,   
  
even lately with his change in employment. Ranma   
  
heard his name announced, as well as the target's.   
  
He smiled ever so slightly and went to the ring.  
  
The fight was short, and Ranma managed to   
  
deliver several whispered warnings during the   
  
duration. The man was sufficiently frightened and   
  
agreed to stop. Ranma only then realized that it   
  
had been the final fight. He was handed a trophy   
  
and there were several bright flashes.  
  
His face was as empty of feeling as usual when   
  
he entered the locker room. He didn't pay attention   
  
to or remember any of his actions between the ring   
  
and the locker room. He sat on a bench, putting the   
  
trophy next to him without a second glance. It was   
  
getting too easy. He hadn't lost a fight in years.   
  
Would he ever find a true challenge again?  
  
Just then, something fluttered to the ground   
  
from his bag that he'd pulled from the locker. He   
  
paused to look at it, the image of a Shinto shrine   
  
facing up at him. He dropped the bag and picked up   
  
the card.  
  
"Tendo, bringing Ranma. Be prepared. Genma".   
  
Short, to the point, and an obvious threat. Wait,   
  
why would his father have to threaten anyone? Ranma   
  
had never seen his father be defeated in his short   
  
time with the man.  
  
Genma was very honorable. If he were going to   
  
what he deemed a fairly equal match, he would have   
  
felt obliged to warn the competitor so that they   
  
would both have time to prepare. Did his father   
  
actually have a match out there that stood a chance   
  
of beating him?  
  
Ranma remembered his father's words. He had   
  
felt fairly invincible there for a moment. Now, he   
  
saw something new in the card's short message. Now,   
  
he would train. He called Chad. After being   
  
congratulated on his win, Ranma said that he'd like   
  
to take some time in China to train.  
  
"What luck, Ranma. We have someone in that area   
  
that we'd like some information on. While you're   
  
training, how about you do a little reconnaissance?"  
  
Ranma quickly agreed. If it got him to China on   
  
company time and cash, all the better.  
  
Ranma trained for several months under Master   
  
Chou before catching wind of a very famous training   
  
ground not too far away. It also happened to be   
  
very close to the village he was supposed to check   
  
out. He packed up and set out.  
  
"No sir! Very bad you fall in spring!"  
  
"Oh, why's that?" Ranma stopped halfway through   
  
the process of removing his pack.  
  
"This Jusenkyo, valley of cursed springs. Each   
  
spring have different curse. Whoever fall in take   
  
body of whatever drown last in spring."  
  
Ranma raised an eyebrow and turned to regard the   
  
valley. He hadn't been impressed to begin with, but   
  
he hated to waste the trip. "I'm a martial artist,   
  
and I came here to train. Know any good martial   
  
artists around here?"  
  
"Is nearby village of Amazon tribe. Many great   
  
fighters in this village. Much safer than   
  
Jusenkyo."  
  
Ranma visibly seemed more excited. "A whole   
  
village of fighters? Lead the way!"  
  
Ranma stood just inside the village and watched   
  
the tournament. He hadn't eaten much during the   
  
last day and a half, so he was terribly hungry. He   
  
saw a large table laden with a glorious feast, and   
  
was practically salivating. He started for the   
  
table until he saw the sign.  
  
He hadn't spent enough time in China to be   
  
fluent, but he had a vague grasp of the language.   
  
It said something about a prize. He sighed and   
  
turned to the guide.  
  
"Any chance of getting some food here?"  
  
"There will be great big festival when   
  
tournament end. I come some years, always on guest   
  
list. You be my guest, and we eat well, yes?"  
  
"Thank you very much." He bowed just as the   
  
next pair of fighters stepped onto the raised   
  
challenge log. He studied the large, nearly   
  
masculine, woman, and the smaller purple-haired   
  
woman.  
  
Although smaller, she'd obviously have the speed   
  
advantage. She also seemed very comfortable with   
  
the bonbori in her hands. She did appear tired   
  
though, while the larger woman was fresh and hadn't   
  
fought in some time.  
  
Ranma worked his way closer to the fight,   
  
wanting to see the outcome. As the fight began,   
  
everyone was so absorbed by it that they paid him no   
  
heed. He was very close to the circle's edge when   
  
Purple threw the larger woman from the log with a   
  
well-placed swipe.  
  
She was heading right for him, so Ranma leapt up   
  
and caught the unconscious woman. There was a   
  
collective gasp as he landed, holding the large   
  
woman. He looked around, but nobody seemed too keen   
  
on taking her from him. He shrugged and laid her   
  
out on the ground.  
  
Purple stomped over too him and gestured wildly   
  
with her bonbori. Ranma held up a hand and   
  
attempted to converse in the unfamiliar language.  
  
*Wait. I not speaking Chinese well. I did   
  
something wrong?*  
  
She grunted, *Yes you did something wrong! How   
  
dare you aid her so soon? It is part of the triumph   
  
to send your opponent flying and watch them land   
  
outside the ring!* She pointed helpfully to the   
  
ground.  
  
He bowed deeply. *My apologies. I wish only   
  
save her from uh, hard fall. My congratulations on   
  
good win.*  
  
Purple opened her mouth, but a withered prune of   
  
a woman interrupted with a well-timed bop on the   
  
girl's head with a cane.  
  
*Silence Xian Pu. He did no real harm, and you   
  
won regardless. As the new Champion, go claim your   
  
prize.*  
  
Shampoo just then seemed to realize her triumph,   
  
and was gleefully escorted to the long table of   
  
food. Ranma was now glad that he had refrained from   
  
eating its contents. The small old woman looked up   
  
at him as the crowd relocated to the table of food.  
  
"Well, judging by your accent you are Japanese.   
  
Correct?"  
  
He nodded, "Yes, wise one. My apologies for my   
  
earlier short fall."  
  
"No harm there. You didn't know, and it wasn't   
  
important anyway. Now, why has this young martial   
  
artist come to our village?"  
  
He decided that she could obviously tell he was   
  
a fighter from his earlier leap and moved on. "I   
  
heard of a legendary training ground called Jusenkyo   
  
and decided to try it out."  
  
She looked horror stricken for a moment, "Did   
  
you fall into a spring?"  
  
"No, the guide stopped me."  
  
"Good. It would be a shame to waste such a   
  
talented young martial artist to a terrible curse."  
  
He thought about asking what sorts of curses   
  
there were in the valley, but decided it wasn't   
  
really important after all. She continued before he   
  
could have asked anyway.  
  
"Tell me, young one, would you like to train   
  
here for awhile? I'm interested to see how you   
  
managed to obtain such a powerful aura at so young   
  
an age."  
  
"You can sense ki?"  
  
She chuckled, "Of course! I take it that you'll   
  
be staying?"  
  
He smiled, "Of course. At least for as long as   
  
I can without wearing out my welcome. You see, I   
  
have this quest . . .." He explained his problem   
  
while silently congratulating himself. It was well   
  
known that these little villages didn't always take   
  
well to strangers, and it was his current assignment   
  
to find out some more about them, after all.  
  
Ranma Soatome parked his car on the curb a   
  
couple houses down from his destination. He'd come   
  
on ahead of target C. He got out of the black   
  
convertible and looked around. The street was   
  
empty, so he hopped into the tree above his car.  
  
He spread his legs and squatted down to see   
  
through the gap in the leaves. His black leather   
  
trenchcoat was hanging a bit lower than he'd like,   
  
but it wouldn't be visible unless she looked   
  
directly up at the exact second.  
  
He saw her come over the slight rise in the   
  
road, seemingly counting on her fingers and humming.   
  
She seemed altogether pleased with herself, and   
  
didn't even glance at the tree he was secreted in.  
  
She passed by and Ranma turned to look into the   
  
walled back yard of the building. He heard C call   
  
out that she'd returned home, and he started   
  
counting. After timing it just right, he hopped   
  
from the tree.   
  
They were all home now, so it was time to make   
  
his move. He made his way to the gate and then to   
  
the front door. He knocked and ran through their   
  
actions in his head. B would be in the kitchen, A   
  
in the dining or family room. C just got home, and   
  
probably just finished discussing her day with B. D   
  
would be either in the dojo or on her way there.  
  
That left B and C to be the ones to open the   
  
door. He preferred C, since she was the business   
  
end of the family, but B was the eldest aside from   
  
A, the father.  
  
He was a little surprised when D opened the   
  
door. She blinked at his odd appearance. A black   
  
leather trenchcoat and dark sunglasses weren't the   
  
norm with anyone she knew. Was he one of Nabiki's   
  
friends?  
  
"Can I help you?"  
  
He looked down at her through the shades. He'd   
  
been hoping to avoid her until he was forced to   
  
fight her. "I'm here to see Master Tendo of the   
  
Tendo school of Anything Goes."  
  
She frowned slightly. He looked familiar, but   
  
she couldn't place him. It didn't help that those   
  
shades wrapped around a large portion of his face.   
  
"The sign outside says that all challenges go to the   
  
dojo out back. I accept the challenges to the   
  
school."  
  
"This is more than a minor challenge. This has   
  
to do with family honor."  
  
"Uh, sure. Why don't you wait just in here?"  
  
He stepped in beside her and she closed the   
  
door. She disappeared down the hall as Nabiki was   
  
heading up the stairs. She paused and studied him.   
  
They held a brief staring contest, both staring   
  
steadily at each other. After a long wait, Nabiki   
  
looked away with an unconcerned snort.  
  
Kasumi stepped out of the kitchen, catching   
  
sight of Ranma. "Oh! I thought I heard the door.   
  
Do you need anything?"  
  
"No, your . . . sister is seeing your father   
  
about getting an audience between your father and   
  
myself."  
  
"Oh my! I better get some tea ready. Excuse me   
  
please!"  
  
He nodded and she went back into the kitchen.   
  
Nabiki leaned against the wall of the stairs,   
  
watching him without making eye contact. He ignored   
  
her, wondering if he was doing the right thing by   
  
being here.  
  
Akane returned just as Kasumi was coming from   
  
the kitchen.  
  
"Akane, take these for father and his guest,   
  
will you?"  
  
Since she was between Ranma and Akane, Ranma   
  
grabbed the tray as he passed the eldest Tendo.   
  
Kasumi smiled and thanked him, but he just nodded   
  
and looked at Akane expectantly. She nodded and led   
  
him to the dining room table.  
  
Ranma paused slightly when he saw the man. He   
  
was middle-aged, and didn't appear at all dangerous.   
  
However, Ranma knew looks could be deceiving. He'd   
  
used that to his advantage often enough.  
  
"Good afternoon! Please, be seated." Ranma   
  
nodded at the man's comment and sat down across from   
  
him. Akane knelt next to her father and served the   
  
tea, though she didn't look happy about it.  
  
As she finished, she started to stand. Soun   
  
held out a hand and stopped her. He looked up at   
  
his young visitor, "If this pertains to the dojo,   
  
Akane should hear it. She is the heir after all."  
  
Ranma winced, but nodded. "Before I give my   
  
name, I'd like to tell why I am here." He reached   
  
inside his coat and pulled out the card. Placing it   
  
on the table directly in front of him, picture up,   
  
he looked up at Soun. Akane seemed miffed that she   
  
was being ignored but let it go.  
  
"Eight years ago, I saw my father killed in cold   
  
blood. As he died in my arms, he told me, 'Go, and   
  
train just as hard as I have worked you. One day,   
  
when you feel strong and invincible, take out this   
  
card. Study it until you find something new, then   
  
train some more. Train until you no longer feel   
  
invincible'."  
  
Akane raised an eyebrow. My, how dramatic.  
  
Ranma reached up and started to remove the   
  
sunglasses. "Last year, I won a tournament. I   
  
wondered if I'd ever find a challenge ever again."   
  
As the glasses revealed his striking blue eyes,   
  
Akane gasped.  
  
"You're Ryo Tome! I saw you win that   
  
tournament, and they named you the best fighter in   
  
Japan! It was the All Japan National Championship   
  
after all, and you won it easily!"  
  
"That's why I'm here. Since I felt fairly   
  
unbeatable there for a moment, I went training and   
  
found someone far stronger than me. Now I realize   
  
that no matter how hard I train, there will always   
  
be someone out there better than me."  
  
Soun nodded slowly, "Wise."  
  
Ranma jerked his gaze to the man. "As heir to   
  
the school, I've come as my father requested. I am   
  
here to claim the school and assure that his life   
  
was not wasted, and his death is finally avenged.   
  
My father was an honorable man, and he was shot in   
  
the back by a coward. I avenged his death then, but   
  
I will now avenge the family's honor and claim the   
  
school."  
  
Akane looked at him, frightened by the serious   
  
tone. "So you defeated your father's murderer to   
  
avenge his death?"  
  
Ranma turned his cold eyes on her. "I defeated   
  
him, and then I killed him with my bare hands. Eye   
  
for an eye."  
  
Akane gasped and pulled back slightly. Her   
  
movement was small, but he saw it. Akane didn't   
  
miss the hurt in his eyes as she drew away from him.  
  
He turned to Soun. "Tell me, old man, how do we   
  
do this? Who shall it be?"   
  
The resemblance was there, but could it really   
  
be? Soun suddenly smiled. "Akane, get your sisters   
  
quickly!" She looked nearly as confused as Ranma,   
  
but obeyed. The three girls sat at one end of the   
  
table, their father and Ranma to either side of   
  
them.  
  
"My boy, the choice is yours." He spread an arm   
  
in a wide gesture to include the three girls.   
  
Before they could figure out a sensible question,   
  
Ranma was studying them each in turn. Kasumi   
  
blushed, Nabiki raised an eyebrow, and Akane just   
  
looked puzzled.  
  
Ranma turned to Soun once more. "Akane, the   
  
youngest, she's the only fighter, right?"  
  
Soun nodded happily. "That's right. This is   
  
Kasumi, age nineteen; and Nabiki, she's seventeen.   
  
Choose my boy, don't be shy!"  
  
Ranma looked puzzled. "Well, then it would have   
  
to be Akane, wouldn't it?" What kind of fool would   
  
send a non-fighter into combat to save his school?  
  
Soun stood, pulling Akane and Ranma with him.   
  
He joined their hands and announced happily,   
  
"Congratulations my boy, you've made a good choice.   
  
Akane will make an excellent wife!"  
  
"Wife!" Ranma and Akane stared at each other.   
  
Ranma looked away after a moment, but Akane just   
  
couldn't help but stare at him.  
  
"Excuse me, but what in the world are you   
  
talking about?" Akane could tell that he wasn't   
  
happy. Well, neither was she! After all, he was a   
  
BOY!"  
  
"Dad! What ARE you talking about? I thought he   
  
was here to try and take the school."  
  
Soun shook his head. "Do you remember years ago   
  
when I went to identify the body of my old friend,   
  
Genma Soatome? Well, if I'm right, this is his dead   
  
son, Ranma."  
  
"Dead?"  
  
"Friend?" Ranma glared at the presumptuous man.   
  
"How dare you call my father a friend?"  
  
Soun blinked at him and then seemed a little   
  
surprised. "Why, because we were best friends. We   
  
trained under the same master, and started our own   
  
schools. We agreed that one day our schools would   
  
be joined, combining the strengths of each. They   
  
would be joined when our children married to carry   
  
on the honor of both schools."  
  
Ranma shook his head as if to clear it,   
  
confusion and anger warring on his face. Nabiki and   
  
Kasumi looked at each other, silently agreeing that   
  
it was best to remain silent. Akane finally decided   
  
to ask a few questions.  
  
"Wait dad, what did you mean dead son?"  
  
"When Genma was murdered, his young son ran into   
  
the woods with no supplies or anything. He was   
  
never heard from, so we assumed he had died out in   
  
the wilderness. Such a sad time for . . .."  
  
"Hold it!" Ranma stepped back from the table,   
  
hands fisted unconsciously. "Do you mean that   
  
you're not my enemy, that I've wasted half my life?"  
  
Soun held up a single finger and began a   
  
lecture. "No sacrifice is too great in the name of   
  
the art!"  
  
Anger flared across his young face. "Really?   
  
What about my honor? In the sake of my father's   
  
honor, I tore my own to shreds. I spent eight years   
  
of my life preparing to defeat the dreaded Tendo!   
  
Now I find that he's really just a middle-aged man   
  
with three kids, sitting around all day."  
  
Akane now turned on him. "Hey! What gives you   
  
the right to yell at father?"  
  
Ranma snapped a hand out and grabbed her gi.   
  
"Do you know what it's like to survive on your own   
  
in the forest for a year when you're eight years   
  
old? I nearly starved and stunted my growth. Then   
  
I spent a few months working as a bouncer in a bar."  
  
Nabiki wished she had a tape recorder. This   
  
could get interesting.  
  
Ranma released his grip on the frightened girl   
  
and she nearly fell. He turned to Soun once more,   
  
his anger fading to a pitiful blend of sad   
  
loneliness and horror at what had become his life.   
  
"I have done things that no child should know   
  
about. Now I realize that my life is all a façade."   
  
He fell to his knees, "I—you wouldn't want me in   
  
your family. I—I better go." He made no move to   
  
leave despite his words.  
  
Soun called out, "Wait! As the only child of my   
  
dear friend, I must extend our hospitality. Please   
  
stay if only to tell me of your time with Genma. I   
  
hadn't heard from him in years when I was called to   
  
Kyoto with—"  
  
Ranma brought his eyes up to look at the man.   
  
Hadn't he heard? "Why would you want me to stay? I   
  
was just a boy, I don't remember much of that time."  
  
Soun smiled kindly, "True, but you know more of   
  
Genma's final years than anyone else. All I ask is   
  
that you consider the marriage." Akane glared at   
  
her father. "Stay a couple nights, and get to know   
  
Akane."  
  
Ranma sighed. "I suppose father would have   
  
wanted a friend to know about him . . ."  
  
"Then it's settled! Kasumi, go prepare the   
  
guest room please!"  
  
Kasumi stood and bowed before leaving the room.   
  
Ranma heard a phone ringing somewhere in the house,   
  
but didn't even look up from the floor. Nabiki said   
  
she'd answer it and left the room. Akane looked   
  
between her father and the strange boy.  
  
Soun blabbed on about how good and honorable   
  
Genma was, but Ranma didn't pay any attention. A   
  
moment after the ringing stopped, Nabiki stepped   
  
into the room.  
  
"Father? It's for you." Soun excused himself   
  
and left, Nabiki already heading for her room. She   
  
had work to do.  
  
Akane sat on the ground next to Ranma. His   
  
forlorn expression reaching out to her. He didn't   
  
even show any reaction to her sudden presence.  
  
"Ranma, right?"  
  
He looked up, and she was extending a hand to   
  
him. She had a warm smile on, and he nearly   
  
returned it.  
  
"Uh, yeah." He briefly shook her hand before   
  
letting it fall limply back to his side.  
  
"We got off to a bad start I suppose. I'm   
  
Akane. I really did see your fight you know. I got   
  
the tickets for my birthday from Nabiki. It was   
  
great!"  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"I got your autograph after the fight, when you   
  
were on your way to the locker rooms. I'm a big fan   
  
actually, and had a poster of you with me."  
  
He looked at her curiously, finally showing   
  
signs of life. "You had a poster of me?"  
  
She nodded happily. "Uh huh. It's hanging on   
  
my door now, autograph and all. Hey! Would you   
  
like to see the dojo?"  
  
He looked out in the general direction of the   
  
building, slowly nodding. She grabbed his hand and   
  
dragged him out there. She spun around when they   
  
made it.  
  
"Tada! What do you think?"  
  
He scanned the room with a small smile.   
  
"Actually, it looks a lot like my old boss's dojo."  
  
"The bar owner?"  
  
He shook his head and wandered to the center,   
  
hands tucked into his pockets. "No, the one after   
  
him. Say, ya wanna spar?"  
  
"R—really?"  
  
He turned to face her again and shrugged on   
  
shoulder. "Sure. OH, wait. I should probably move   
  
my car first."  
  
"Car?"  
  
"Yeah. I parked it in front of someone else's   
  
house so you guys wouldn't know I was here until I   
  
showed up at the door. Do you wanna wait here for   
  
me, or . . ."  
  
Her eyes lit up, "Why don't I come with you?   
  
None of my friends have a car! What is it?"   
  
Somehow, halfway through the first sentence, Akane   
  
started to pull him out of the dojo. By the end of   
  
her speech, they were going out the gate and   
  
stepping onto the sidewalk.  
  
Ranma gestured weakly with his left hand, his   
  
right arm in a tight grasp by Akane, to the little   
  
sports car a couple houses down. Another car had   
  
pulled up behind his; an ugly older box of a thing   
  
with at least three different colors.  
  
Akane looked between the two as they approached.   
  
"Uh, the green one, right?"  
  
He shook his head, hiding his amusement behind a   
  
blank face. "No, actually it's the black one."  
  
She looked like she was trying to decide if he   
  
was joking, so he pulled out his keys and pressed   
  
the button that would unlock the doors and turn off   
  
the alarm. There was an electronic beep and the   
  
sound of the two doors unlocking.  
  
Akane blinked in surprise before running up and   
  
examining it appreciatively. "It's gorgeous! How   
  
can you ever afford it?"  
  
He shrugged, "I do fight in a lot of   
  
tournaments. Besides, I have a little job on the   
  
side." He opened the driver's side door and sat   
  
down. He reached across and pushed open the other   
  
door. Akane quickly got in.  
  
It only took a moment to move the car to the   
  
Tendo's place, and Ranma got out with his suitcase.   
  
Akane took a moment longer. She was reluctant to   
  
get out of the sleek vehicle. The two of them went   
  
back to the dojo, where Ranma took off his   
  
trenchcoat and laid it by his pack at the door.  
  
He swung his arms around to loosen them up,   
  
arching his back until it popped. Akane had been   
  
working out until Kasumi had come and told her about   
  
a phone call. She'd just hung up when Ranma'd   
  
knocked on the door. She still felt pretty warm,   
  
but went through several actions like Ranma's.  
  
They finally squared off in the center of the   
  
room. Akane was in a rigid stance which she took   
  
pains to make perfect. Ranma stood loosely with his   
  
arms at his sides and his feet spread apart. Akane   
  
would have been insulted if she hadn't known what a   
  
famous fighter he was.  
  
She jumped forward with a quick combo. Her leg   
  
swept high in a perfect arc that went through air.   
  
She stared wide-eyed for the briefest moment with   
  
her leg still above her head. The moment ended   
  
abruptly with a sudden pain in her lower leg.  
  
Akane blinked and wondered how she'd made it so   
  
quickly to the ground. She found herself lying face   
  
down on the mat, and sat up. She was completely   
  
untouched aside from her ankle where he'd touched   
  
her. She sat on the floor and massaged her   
  
throbbing ankle.  
  
"Ow! What'd you do?"  
  
Ranma quirked one corner of his mouth at the   
  
angry scowl on her face but quickly banished it. He   
  
knelt beside her and touched the same spot again,   
  
also hitting a spot several inches higher.  
  
"I ducked under your kick and hit a pressure   
  
point on your ankle."  
  
She blinked at him. "Oh. It feels better now,   
  
like you never touched it."  
  
"I hit the 'antidote'."  
  
"Uh, sure. Dr. Tofu uses pressure points for   
  
healing. I didn't know those techniques could be   
  
used in fights."  
  
"Of course."  
  
She was about to start a conversation over   
  
martial arts when Kasumi stepped into the room.  
  
"Did you two have a nice workout?"  
  
Ranma stood quickly and nodded, letting Akane   
  
answer her sister. "Yeah Kasumi. It was really   
  
fun."  
  
"That's nice. I have your room ready for you   
  
Ranma. Would you like to take a bath first?"  
  
"That would be very nice, Miss Kasumi."  
  
"Oh my!" She held a hand to her cheek. "Just   
  
follow me."  
  
"I'll see ya later Akane." Ranma picked up his   
  
bag as he passed the door and followed Kasumi to the   
  
bath.  
  
"Later, Ranma."  
  
Kasumi left him in the hall, and he went inside.   
  
He took a nice soak, but didn't stay in overly long.   
  
He changed into a fresh set of Chinese silk clothes,   
  
this set in dark blue that complimented his eyes.   
  
Well, that's what Lilly said at least.  
  
Ranma put the pack on his shoulder and held the   
  
old clothes in his arm. He looked around the hall,   
  
wondering where to go, as Kasumi came out of a room   
  
down the hall. She smiled at him from behind a   
  
stack of laundry.  
  
"Hello Ranma. This is your room here." She   
  
pointed to the room next to the one she'd just   
  
exited. Ranma nodded and waved one hand as he   
  
stepped toward the appointed room. She studied the   
  
clothes in his arm as he passed.  
  
"Oh, are those your dirty clothes? I'll take   
  
them."  
  
Before Ranma knew what was happening, his   
  
clothes had been taken from his grasp and he was   
  
ushered into his guestroom. He scanned the empty   
  
looking room and sighed. "I wish I was home."  
  
He shook his head and settled his suitcase onto   
  
the floor, taking out enough things for the night   
  
and the next day. He then settled down on the   
  
sleeping pad and took out a book with a plain cover.   
  
He palmed through a few chapters until he found the   
  
appropriate section, and began to read.  
  
He read silently until there was a knock on the   
  
door. "Come in."  
  
He looked up as Akane stepped in, smiling. "Hey   
  
Ranma. Dinner's ready."  
  
"Oh. Thank you, Akane."  
  
"No prob. Better hurry, or Dad will eat all the   
  
food."  
  
They smiled at each other, though Ranma still   
  
hadn't really grinned and Akane had a much happier   
  
and wider smile. Ranma put down the book and stood,   
  
following Akane downstairs to the dining room.  
  
They entered and sat down across from each other   
  
at one end, Nabiki next to Akane and Soun at the   
  
end. Kasumi came in and started placing dishes on   
  
the table. Soun took a deep appreciative breath.  
  
"That smells wonderful Kasumi!"  
  
"Why thank you Father." She began to serve, and   
  
they were soon eating happily. Akane glanced up at   
  
Ranma and paused. While he was using the best   
  
manners, he seemed to be displacing a lot of food   
  
into his mouth. He didn't appear to be eating   
  
quickly because of his graceful movements, but he   
  
was asking for seconds before Akane had taken three   
  
bites.  
  
"Oh my! Did you enjoy it Ranma?"  
  
"Very much. You're an excellent cook Kasumi.   
  
Worthy of the finest restaurants in France." He   
  
said it with such surety; it was as if he had eaten   
  
real French food on a regular basis.  
  
"Why thank you Ranma. Here, have some more   
  
soup."  
  
He accepted and before long, he had an empty   
  
bowl. He looked around at the still-full dishes of   
  
the Tendo's and decided to wait for more. Instead,   
  
he turned to Soun.  
  
"Sir, if I may ask, how many students does the   
  
dojo now have?"  
  
Soun turned crimson for a second, then returned   
  
to his normal color as he held his head high. He   
  
raised a finger and pointed proudly to Akane. "I   
  
have restricted my training to Akane for the last   
  
ten years."  
  
Ranma looked between father and daughter. Soun   
  
was obviously trying to hide his shame at not having   
  
any students, while Akane was rolling her eyes.   
  
Having already fought her, it was obvious that the   
  
girl hadn't been worked terribly hard over the last   
  
ten years. Of course she hadn't had his life, but   
  
Ranma knew pampered rich boys that were better than   
  
her.  
  
"Of course. You trained her very well, Master   
  
Tendo."  
  
"Now, now Ranma, not so formal. Just Mr.   
  
Tendo." Nabiki rolled her eyes and Akane groaned.   
  
"Of course, Mr. Tendo. Perhaps you and I could   
  
spar later?"  
  
Tendo blinked. "Uh . . ."  
  
Akane interrupted, "Hey Ranma, why don't you and   
  
I just spar. We wouldn't want to bother father."   
  
She sent him an imploring look, and he nodded.  
  
"As you wish."  
  
"Didn't you two just work out Ranma?"  
  
He gave Kasumi a polite little smile, barely a   
  
lifting of the corner of his mouth. "We did spar,   
  
yes, but I would feel lazy if I didn't do my usual   
  
daily exercises."  
  
Akane perked up slightly. "Would you mind if I   
  
watch?"  
  
He shrugged. "I guess not. I usually do this   
  
in the mornings, but I had to go to uh, work this   
  
morning."  
  
"I mostly just jog in the mornings."  
  
Everyone else was either making excuses or   
  
clearing the table. Before long, Akane and Ranma   
  
were alone. "Jogging's good too, but I don't like   
  
to take the time for a good long run usually, since   
  
I'm so busy."  
  
"Do you work a lot of hours?"  
  
He shrugged, "Not really, but there's a lot of   
  
travelling. I'd better get started on that workout,   
  
if you don't mind."  
  
"OH no. I'd love to see what a true martial   
  
artist considers a daily workout."  
  
"I'd consider you a martial artist by far Akane.   
  
You just haven't had my life. Trust me, you learn   
  
to fight if it means surviving."  
  
She didn't like the dark clouds in his eyes, and   
  
changed the subject. "Don't let me forget to show   
  
you that poster."  
  
He felt one corner of his mouth lift slightly,   
  
"Of course."  
  
Ranma felt his weight pushing down into the   
  
ground while his muscles strained and pulled him up   
  
taller. He stood with his feet together and his   
  
arms at his sides, eyes closed as he concentrated on   
  
nothingness. With a jerk, his right arm shot out to   
  
a perfectly aimed upward thrust. After a slight   
  
pause, he thrust himself fully into the kata he'd   
  
devised for himself years ago.  
  
He concentrated on speed and balance, letting   
  
the technique that had been drilled into him fall   
  
naturally into place. He spun around the room, eyes   
  
still closed as he worked a tight spiral. As he   
  
reached the center of the room and spiral, he   
  
suddenly stopped.   
  
His face, previously relaxed and calm, tensed as   
  
he concentrated on his own body and power. His   
  
hands fisted at his sides, as he seemed to push   
  
himself down into the ground while trying to remain   
  
upright. As quickly as he'd dropped into the   
  
trance, he relaxed and opened his eyes.  
  
He found himself staring into Akane's stunned   
  
eyes. "Wow! That was amazing. You're so fast, and   
  
you did it all without even opening your eyes."  
  
"Um, thanks. I'd better finish up though."  
  
She blinked, "You're not done?"  
  
"Of course not. That was only one kata."  
  
"But—but it lasted a good hour."  
  
Ranma shook his head, almost smiling as walked   
  
into the house a couple hours later. Akane had been   
  
called away for a phone call an hour or so ago, so   
  
he'd finished up alone. Her enthusiasm over his   
  
training was commendable. Maybe he could make her   
  
into a true fighter yet . . .  
  
Wait a minute, what was he thinking? He wasn't   
  
going to be training her. He'd be leaving for his   
  
place in the next day or so and leave the Tendos on   
  
their own. He frowned and shook his head as he   
  
stepped into the house. Kasumi poked her head out   
  
of a doorway and smiled at him.  
  
"Are you ready for a bath now Ranma? I'm sure a   
  
nice soak would be welcome after such a long   
  
workout."  
  
He bowed his head solemnly. "That is an   
  
excellent idea, Miss. Kasumi."  
  
She blushed and raised a hand to her cheek. "Oh   
  
my. Well, enjoy your bath."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
After his second soak of the evening, he went to   
  
his room and retrieved the book he'd been reading   
  
earlier. It was a slim volume with tiny print that   
  
would give him a headache if he weren't used to it.   
  
He would have hidden it if he weren't fairly sure   
  
that nobody in the household could read Chinese.  
  
There was a knock on the door and he looked up.   
  
Kasumi was standing in the doorway, smiling shyly.  
  
"Ranma, might I have a word with you?"  
  
"Of course. Have a seat." He gestured to the   
  
other end of his sleeping mat and she primly   
  
arranged herself in a quick and efficient way that   
  
reminded him of his friend.  
  
"What can I help you with, Miss. Kasumi?"  
  
"Please, just Kasumi will do. And I actually   
  
have a couple things. My family is, well,   
  
interesting with all of our foibles and odd little   
  
quirks. I know you came here with different   
  
intentions, but things have changed and I'd like to   
  
make a couple requests."  
  
"I'd be more than happy to help if it's in my   
  
power, but I'm afraid this whole marriage is a   
  
little—"  
  
"Oh heavens no! I'm not asking you to marry   
  
anyone! I just want you to understand my family."   
  
Ranma narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but continued   
  
to listen. "Father was deeply affected by the loss   
  
of my mother, and that's why he hasn't taken any   
  
students or really tried to train Akane."  
  
She turned and looked sadly out the window.   
  
"His sense of honor wouldn't let him completely let   
  
her training slip. After all, he was a great   
  
fighter in his time; so he taught her enough to be   
  
the best in the area, then stopped."  
  
She looked back to him, her face schooled to the   
  
usual calm that she let show. "Akane was affected   
  
deeply too. She was so young that she had a harder   
  
time accepting it than Nabiki and me. She lives   
  
martial arts to feel strong so that her pain doesn't   
  
show."  
  
"She always complained about professional   
  
martial artists selling out, and how there weren't   
  
any real fighters left." She smiled up at him.   
  
"Then she saw you fight one night on TV. She's good   
  
enough that she could tell you were real. She saw   
  
something in you, and you became her mentor."  
  
"Me? Because she saw one fight on TV?"  
  
"NO silly!" She giggled, "She didn't really   
  
feel that way until she had the chance to talk to   
  
one of the men you'd beat. He was going through   
  
town and happened to see the dojo. He stopped to   
  
see if there was a class going on, and ended up just   
  
talking to Akane."  
  
"You see, he'd just recently lost to you, and   
  
had had his interest in the art newly peaked. He   
  
was searching the country for a master that could   
  
teach him to be a true warrior. Like you."  
  
Ranma stared at the carpet as she studied him.   
  
After a brief pause, she continued. "Akane finally   
  
found a fighter she could look up to (Beside Father)   
  
and she went out and bought a poster of you. It   
  
hasn't left her door since she bought it, except to   
  
take it to your championship last year. She was so   
  
proud of that autograph, that she brought a couple   
  
friends home from school to see it."  
  
Ranma nodded slowly. That explained why she was   
  
so eager to watch him train and spar with him. He   
  
had felt the same about one of his friends in the   
  
village . . . "Alright, so what are the favors you   
  
wanted?"  
  
She smiled and reached over to squeeze his hand.   
  
"Now that you know how much you mean to Akane, you   
  
must understand that, as the son of Father's old   
  
partner, you mean a lot to him too. I understand if   
  
you don't want to go through with the marriage, but   
  
father won't. Not right away at least. Give him   
  
time, and he'll let it go."  
  
"Until then, could you at least make a few   
  
appearances around the house on occasion? I'm not   
  
asking much, just that you give the appearance that   
  
you're considering it."  
  
"You just want me to hang out here?" It   
  
couldn't be that easy.  
  
"That's it. Akane would be thrilled to have her   
  
idol showing up at her house on a regular (if   
  
infrequent) basis, and Father could get used to the   
  
idea that this engagement may not be the wisest   
  
thing to do. He doesn't know you, so he doesn't   
  
know that there may be perfectly good reasons for   
  
you not to have to go through with it."  
  
Ranma nodded curtly. "Alright. I'm a busy   
  
person, but I can make some quick stops every month   
  
or two."  
  
Kasumi smiled and bowed her head. "That's more   
  
than enough. You're a good soul, Ranma Soatome."   
  
With that, she stood and looked down at him. Her   
  
eyes caught on the book in his lap, and she seemed   
  
puzzled for a moment. She evidently shook it off   
  
and smiled before leaving.  
  
Ranma watched her close his door and stared at   
  
it for a long time before going back to his book.  
  
Why had he agreed to that? He thought of the   
  
eager look on Akane's face as she followed him to   
  
the dojo that evening and the awed look when he   
  
finished his first kata. He shook his head and went   
  
to sleep.  
  
Ranma tossed the small sandbag a couple times to   
  
get the idea of its weight firmly in mind. He   
  
jerked his eyes directly in front of him and across   
  
the Koi pond. He slid his feet apart in a ready   
  
stance, readying the fist-sized bag filled with   
  
Chinese sand from a certain little body of water.  
  
He chucked the bag into the air, quickly   
  
following its path. He knocked it back into the air   
  
with a flick of his wrist as he jumped across the   
  
pond. He immediately rappelled himself back across   
  
the pond, this time kicking the bag into the air   
  
again.  
  
Each time he jumped across the still waters, he   
  
hit the bag back into the air. Each time, he made   
  
it more difficult. The last time he jumped, he did   
  
a flip while quickly jerking a leg out to kick it   
  
up. As he finished his rotation, he thrust his arm   
  
out and punched it back again.  
  
He landed on one leg, the other cocked and   
  
ready. As the bag neared the ground, he flicked his   
  
foot out and sent the bag soaring into the air.   
  
This time he simply stood there with his eyes   
  
straight ahead as the bag fell toward him. He heard   
  
applause and turned to the porch.  
  
Nabiki was leaning against the doorframe with a   
  
sarcastic smirk as she clapped slowly. He raised an   
  
eyebrow and held out a hand slightly behind his   
  
back. There was a soft thud as the bag fell neatly   
  
into his hand.  
  
"Nice show, but what good does it do?"  
  
He brought the bag in front of him and studied   
  
the tight weave and the limp weight. "My school   
  
specializes in quick, midair attacks. This way, I   
  
get used to fighting gravity and opponents." He   
  
gave her a cold smirk and strolled into the house.  
  
He found Mr. Tendo and Akane sitting in the   
  
living room. Tendo was reading his paper as Akane   
  
watched a television show. Ranma studied her with a   
  
soft frown. Her hair was disheveled and her skirt   
  
was just settling around her knees. Her hands were   
  
tightly clasped before her on her lap.  
  
He smirked very briefly. He'd noticed a fuzzy   
  
blue spot at a couple points in his exercise. He   
  
sat next to her on the couch. "If you wanted to   
  
watch, I wouldn't mind."  
  
She jerked slightly, and then slowly turned her   
  
head to see his blank face in profile as he watched   
  
the screen. "Excuse me?"  
  
"I knew you were there. I'm used to audiences."   
  
After that stint in China, he definitely was. "I'm   
  
not going to be staying much longer. Kasumi   
  
convinced me to stay tonight, but I'm going to my   
  
place tomorrow. If you want to, I can help you   
  
train some while I'm here, and I can drop by every   
  
now and then."  
  
Her eyes sparkled, but there was a little   
  
wariness there as well. "Really? You'd really do   
  
that for me?" Ranma ignored the rustling of the   
  
paper as Mr. Tendo leaned dangerously over to hear   
  
the conversation.  
  
"Sure. As far as I know, you're the first one   
  
that really appreciated all the work I've done."  
  
She gave him a disbelieving look. "You're   
  
kidding, right? You've got fan clubs all over   
  
Tokyo. My school even has a little one, but I think   
  
they're mostly in love with your looks instead of   
  
your fighting."  
  
He noticed the bitter and disapproving look and   
  
gave the little half smile that was about all he   
  
could manage anymore. "Well, thanks for your   
  
honesty. Do you like your school?" He knew that   
  
was where she was going this morning, because of the   
  
light blue uniform.  
  
She glared at the screen and crossed her arms.   
  
"No! As if schoolwork wasn't enough, I have to put   
  
up with the daily attacks! Honestly, you'd think   
  
they'd learn after the first fifty of so times I   
  
beat them!"  
  
Ranma stared in shock. She was attacked every   
  
day at school? The poor girl! "They attack you   
  
every day? Why?"  
  
She rolled her eyes, "Well—"  
  
"Akane?" Nabiki paused in the doorway. "If we   
  
don't run, we're gonna be really late today! I'm   
  
gonna have to pull a few strings to keep another   
  
tardy off our records, or we'll both have detention   
  
for weeks!"  
  
Ranma thought quickly. If he was gonna be   
  
training her, that made her his student, and masters   
  
looked out for their students, right? "I'll give   
  
you two a ride."  
  
Nabiki blinked. "You will?"  
  
Akane smiled. "That's really nice Ranma, but   
  
you don't have to if—"  
  
"Nonsense. Grab your stuff and we'll get going.   
  
I can get you there much faster than walking or   
  
riding a bus."  
  
He was secretly excited. He loved an excuse to   
  
drive his sports car; especially if he could stretch   
  
its mechanical muscles.  
  
The two girls followed him outside, and he   
  
grabbed his leather coat on the way. His Chinese   
  
silks had a tendency to catch attention that he   
  
didn't want. He slipped on his shades that he   
  
always kept in an interior pocket of the coat.  
  
Nabiki sat sideways in the small back seat,   
  
smiling as she stretched out luxuriously. Akane   
  
giggled at her sister and sat in the front, her   
  
hands resting in the schoolbag on her lap. Ranma   
  
smiled at them both and turned the key. He quirked   
  
an eyebrow quickly up and down.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
Akane frowned, "What do you . . . ahh!" Ranma   
  
took off like a shot. He whipped around corners and   
  
through the thin traffic with ease as he pressed the   
  
button to roll the window down. With his left arm   
  
resting on the window's edge (except when he had to   
  
shift gears) his right hand steered with quick and   
  
precise movements.  
  
Within what seemed like seconds, he pulled up to   
  
the front of the school. Because the windows were   
  
tinted, the students were struggling to see who was   
  
in the fancy car. Ranma smiled at the girls.   
  
"Mind if I come in for a bit? I haven't gone to   
  
school regularly since before my long training trip, and I must admit I'm a   
  
little curious."  
  
Akane blinked, "Well, I don't see why not . . ."  
  
"Great!" He grabbed the keys and hopped out.   
  
He leapt over the car's roof and opened the door.   
  
Akane, who'd been a little stunned by his admission   
  
about lack of schooling, was just reaching for the   
  
handle as he opened the door for her. She shrugged   
  
and climbed out, smiling at Ranma.  
  
"Thanks!" Nabiki followed, nodding simply. He   
  
gave a slight bow and tucked his keys into his   
  
pocket as he followed the girls. He looked around,   
  
feigning interest in the school. Really, he could   
  
care less. He just wanted to scout out any trouble   
  
for Akane and let the local losers know that he   
  
wouldn't stand for any trouble against his student.  
  
Akane stopped just inside the gate and turned to   
  
give him an odd look. "Uh, could you hold this for   
  
me?" Nabiki had already headed inside the school   
  
without a backward glance. He shrugged and took the   
  
bag, expecting her to adjust a shoe or something.  
  
He scanned the yard as he grabbed the bag,   
  
noting the large groups of students lounging near   
  
the front doors. Other than those students,   
  
everyone else seemed to be hurrying inside or   
  
shoving each other in the windows while trying to   
  
look out at the yard.  
  
Ranma frowned and cocked his head. What were   
  
they doing? Was there something out here actually   
  
worth looking at? He turned to ask Akane, just as   
  
the crowd of boys screamed out her name in unison   
  
and charged.  
  
Akane prepared to run head long into them, but   
  
Ranma grabbed her arm. "Mind if I cut in?" He said   
  
it with a small smile and a wiggle of an eyebrow.  
  
"Uh, I guess—"  
  
"Thanks!" Ranma ran at the crowd, twisting his   
  
feet with each step to throw up dust. As he plowed   
  
into them, he kept up similar actions. None got   
  
past him, but nobody else could see because of the   
  
huge dust cloud he'd thrown up.  
  
He stepped out of the cloud a moment later,   
  
dusting his hands off on his coat. He handed Akane   
  
back her bag. "Here ya go."  
  
She looked at it dumbly, "You had it the whole   
  
time?"  
  
He shrugged, "I figured it would make a good   
  
shield if I needed one."  
  
The dust settled to reveal a pile of unconscious   
  
boys. They were out cold, but appeared unharmed.   
  
"What'd you do to them?"  
  
"Oh, I just hit a few pressure points. They'll   
  
be fine, and it's quicker that way." His eye   
  
twitched and his hand shot out. He spun around and   
  
scanned the tree-studded yard. A young man in Kendo   
  
attire stepped from behind one of the trees to his   
  
right.  
  
"Who are thou to fight the beauteous Akane's   
  
battles and endanger her belongings, let alone   
  
intercept my loving gift meant for her gentle hand   
  
alone?"  
  
Ranma blinked and glanced at his hand. He'd   
  
caught the rose on impulse without even realizing   
  
his action; let alone what he'd caught. "Oh. Sorry   
  
Akane, I didn't know you had a boyfriend."  
  
"What!?" Her outraged scream contrasted oddly   
  
with her furious blush. "Kuno's not my boyfriend!"  
  
The boy, evidently named Kuno, stepped closer.   
  
"Alas it is so. For I have yet to beat the timid   
  
tiger that is she in combat as of yet, though you   
  
are wise indeed to notice that we are meant for each   
  
other. But my manners leave me. I have yet to   
  
introduce myself. I am Tatewaki Kuno, the local   
  
Kempo champion and model to my peers, who have   
  
dubbed me the Blue Thunder!"   
  
With that statement, he thrust his bokken into   
  
the air as thunder crashed and lightning flashed on   
  
the horizon. Ranma raised an eyebrow and bowed his   
  
head ever so slightly. "I am Ranma Soatome, head of   
  
the Soatome School of Anything Goes, also known as   
  
Ryo Tome, and the Japanese Martial Arts Champion."  
  
Kuno blinked and swallowed. "Than I am honored   
  
indeed to be in thy presence, for few do not know of   
  
your prowess in the art. Although I was not aware   
  
that Ryo Tome was a stage name of sorts."  
  
Ranma smirked. "Few do. Now, if you'll excuse   
  
us, I believe Akane was about to give me a quick   
  
tour of the school."  
  
Kuno nodded dumbly as Ranma offered his arm to   
  
Akane. She accepted in a daze and Ranma led her   
  
into the building. He hadn't noticed the hush that   
  
had fallen over the school until the school-wide   
  
whispering broke out when he opened the front door.   
  
He sighed and shook his head.   
  
Stupid, you've made yourself the center of   
  
attention. Oh well, it isn't like I have a lot of   
  
enemies to worry about.  
  
Ranma finished packing his bag and started down   
  
the stairs. He propped it against the door and   
  
draped his coat over it before heading to the dining   
  
room. The Tendos were sitting around the table   
  
discussing Ranma's handling of the pompous Kuno.  
  
"You should have seen it Daddy! He was so   
  
smooth and calm that Kuno just didn't know what to   
  
do!"  
  
"You weren't much better Akane. Be glad I   
  
haven't mentioned the engagement, or everyone would   
  
be planning your shower. The whole school's   
  
convinced that you two are dating after he drove us   
  
to school and escorted you in on his arm."  
  
Akane blinked rapidly before turning her eyes to   
  
her lap and blushing. Ranma sat quietly in his   
  
seat. "Now Nabiki, I'm sure the rumors will die   
  
down when they don't see me driving her to school   
  
every day. The rumor mill is effective when handled   
  
correctly, and part of that handling is patience."  
  
"Quite true. I take it you have been the   
  
subject of many rumors?"  
  
He shrugged, "Hasn't everyone?"  
  
Kasumi brought out the last dish and they began   
  
to eat. Akane smiled shyly at Ranma from across the   
  
table. "I'll miss our workouts when you leave."  
  
He smiled softly. "So will I. I haven't had a   
  
regular training partner in months. I'll just have   
  
to stop by as often as possible to keep us both in   
  
shape."  
  
Kasumi smiled secretly and served Ranma some   
  
seconds. It was nearly an hour later when the   
  
Tendos huddled around the front door to wish him   
  
off. Nabiki, looking bored, hung back, but the   
  
other three were smiling at him like old friends.  
  
Mr. Tendo shook his hand with a solemn bow of   
  
the head. "I look forward to your next visit, time   
  
permitting, Ranma."  
  
"As do I." He returned the bow and turned to   
  
Kasumi. "Thank you for your understanding, Miss.   
  
Kasumi."  
  
"Thank you for your help Ranma. You're always   
  
welcome."  
  
He nodded and turned to Akane. "I'll see ya in   
  
a few weeks for practice then. Work on the   
  
exercises I gave you."  
  
"Sure, but Ranma?"  
  
He looked at her questioningly, "Yes Akane?"  
  
"Well, I was just wondering, where are you   
  
going? You said you don't have any family, and I   
  
was just a little worried . . ."  
  
He smiled, "Thank you Akane, but don't worry. I   
  
have a . . . humble home of my own. Maybe I'll be   
  
able to invite you all over sometime. In the   
  
meantime, I'd better—"  
  
He was interrupted by and electronic briiinng.   
  
He smiled apologetically and reached into his coat   
  
pocket to pull out a cellular phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
*Ranma.*  
  
"Chad? I haven't heard from you in awhile—"  
  
*That's the problem! You didn't check in with   
  
your weekly call, and I haven't been able to get a   
  
hold of you. We've got trouble Ranma.*  
  
Ranma sighed. "I didn't call in because I'm on   
  
vacation, remember? Personal business, is this   
  
ringing a bell?"  
  
*I know I promised you a chance to get that   
  
taken care of, but we have a major problem. Where   
  
are you right now?*  
  
He glanced around, "UH, I'm at the Tendo dojo   
  
right now, but I was—"  
  
*Right. Don't move! It is a matter of   
  
international security that you stay out of the   
  
public eye. Nobody can see you, got that? Stay   
  
right where you are, and I'll be there tomorrow   
  
morning.*  
  
"Chad! I can't do that! I'm going home!"  
  
*No you aren't! Listen, an old friend is   
  
bringing a whole mess of trouble, and you can't be   
  
seen. Stay where you are and off the streets. That   
  
fancy little car of yours will have to collect a   
  
little dust until I can get there.*  
  
There was a click and a long moment of silence.   
  
With a growl he turned the phone off and threw it   
  
down on his coat. "I can't believe him! Security   
  
indeed! And here I was looking forward to a   
  
relaxing week at home!"  
  
Akane stepped hesitantly forward. "Is—is   
  
something wrong, Ranma?"  
  
He looked up at her and schooled his features.   
  
"Yes, actually. My uh, boss wants me to stay here   
  
until he can make it here tomorrow. He'll probably   
  
be on his way to the airport now. I hate to ask,   
  
but—"  
  
Soun stepped forward as well and clapped him on   
  
the back. "NO problem son! Didn't we tell you that   
  
you were always welcome? I'll take your bag up to   
  
your room, I know you said that you like to work out   
  
a little after dinner."  
  
"That's quite alright Mr. Tendo. I have a   
  
little work to do. If you don't mind, I better get   
  
some reading done before Chad gets here in the   
  
morning."  
  
Akane grabbed his coat and phone, tucking the   
  
small cellular into the pocket he'd pulled it from   
  
earlier. "I'll walk you up, I have homework to do   
  
anyway."  
  
He half-smiled and nodded as he grabbed his   
  
things. The two of them went to the stairs as the   
  
rest of the household split to be by themselves.   
  
They were halfway up the stairs when Akane rolled   
  
her eyes to the sides to study him.   
  
"Uh, Ranma?"  
  
He kept his eyes forward, "Hmm?"  
  
"Um, why didn't you go to school?"  
  
He glanced quickly at her. Think quick! He   
  
can't tell her that Japan's major crime boss had   
  
seen to it that Ranma had the finest tutors in the   
  
country, and that Chad had already started him on   
  
home college courses for free to make sure that the   
  
top international secret agent in the world wasn't   
  
stupid.  
  
"Well, having to support myself for most of my   
  
life, there wasn't really time for public school.   
  
I've managed though, trust me."  
  
She smiled and waved a hand dismissively, "Well   
  
of course! The Championship last year had a cash   
  
prize rumored to be seven figures!"  
  
He winked at her. "It was substantial, but not   
  
quite that much, okay?"  
  
She giggled, "Whatever you say!" She went into   
  
his room with him and opened the closet. He set the   
  
suitcase down and pulled out his book as she hung   
  
his coat up. She turned to say good night and   
  
noticed the small book.  
  
"Whatcha reading?" She leaned over a little,   
  
curious, and noticed the strange figures on the page   
  
he held it open to. "Is that Chinese?"  
  
He nodded and shut the book with a snap. "Yes.   
  
My boss is based out of China."  
  
"Wow! So you know Chinese too? That's pretty   
  
cool. I've learned a little English in school, but   
  
that's pretty much it."  
  
He nodded sagely. "English is a hard language.   
  
If I hadn't spent some time working in America, I   
  
wouldn't have nearly the grasp on it that I do."  
  
"You know English too? How many languages do   
  
you know?"  
  
"OH, Chinese and English are my best, but I know   
  
a little bit of French, German, Korean, and Russian   
  
too."  
  
"How do you know so many languages?"  
  
He gestured to the ground and they sat on the   
  
mat, much as he and Kasumi had the night before.   
  
"Well, I learned English and Chinese from spending a   
  
few months there on assignment. I work with a   
  
German man and his Russian cousin (and boy is that   
  
an interesting family) on occasion, and the Korean I   
  
picked up from a martial arts master before I went   
  
there to study under his brother."  
  
"Wow, you're lucky to travel so much."  
  
He sighed, "Not really, since I'm always working   
  
when I do."  
  
She shrugged, "I've always wanted to travel. It   
  
would be great to go on a long training trip. Think   
  
what I could learn!"  
  
He nodded, "Yes, that is a great advantage, but   
  
it can be pretty dangerous if you don't have a good   
  
guide. I've run into a couple problems, and a lot   
  
of close calls."  
  
She smiled brightly and stood. "OH well, I'll   
  
see ya in the morning!"  
  
"Good night Akane."  
  
He watched her leave before pulling out the   
  
book. It was his personal copy, and his fifth one   
  
at that. Why did Chad have keep revising the stupid   
  
rulebook?  
  
Ranma set the bag down on the porch and pulled a   
  
short Kris from the canvas drawstring pouch that he   
  
used to hold his weapons. The curving lines of the   
  
blade were balanced superbly, and he'd worked on   
  
throwing it just for fun. It wasn't as accurate as   
  
the miniature throwing knives he sometimes strapped   
  
to his ankle or wrist, but fun nonetheless.  
  
He spun the blade in a sweeping series of arcs   
  
and swipes as he walked to one of the larger stones   
  
around the Koi pond. He stepped onto it and began   
  
the kata he normally used with this blade.  
  
As the sun rose over the wall a substantial time   
  
later, he walked back to the bag and switched to a   
  
katana. It was a magnificent piece as well that   
  
he'd commissioned from a friend of Master Chou's   
  
when they'd first parted.   
  
Master Chou had mentioned that Ranma should   
  
choose a particular weapon and specialize in it.   
  
Ranma had chosen a katana and Chou had suggested a   
  
wonderful man who made Ranma a beautiful folded   
  
blade with an elaborate silver hilt. Of course,   
  
Nishiguchi had paid for it, calling it a welcoming   
  
gift.  
  
Over the years, Ranma spread to other blades and   
  
a few other kinds of weapons. He took a few of them   
  
with him when he traveled, but only the ones he   
  
could pull off as some kind of antique collection or   
  
something. That was one of his covers when going   
  
through customs.  
  
He centered himself in the yard, facing the   
  
house, and began a series of katas that he'd learned   
  
a few months ago. He wasn't satisfied with one part   
  
where he'd been a little off balance and almost   
  
messed up a swing, but he got it right the next time   
  
through.  
  
When he finished, he started to walk to the   
  
house and switch weapons when Akane came out. She   
  
smiled in surprise and waved.   
  
"Hey Ranma! I'm just heading out for my jog.   
  
Care to join me?"  
  
He glanced at the bag that still contained three   
  
weapons that he hadn't worked with yet. "I'd like   
  
to Akane, but I haven't finished my weapons   
  
training, and I'm not supposed to, uh, leave in case   
  
Chad gets here." The real reason was that Chad had   
  
warned him to keep hidden, but he couldn't say that   
  
without sounding more than a little suspicious.  
  
She looked a little disappointed, but smiled a   
  
little anyway. "Alright then. Will you be here   
  
when I get back?"  
  
He noticed the hope and came up with a   
  
compromise. "I don't know, but we could train a   
  
little right now if you wanted."  
  
"That would be great!"  
  
"Ranma?"  
  
They both turned to see Kasumi step onto the   
  
porch with a man. He had shoulder length black hair   
  
with a silver streak from his forehead. He wore an   
  
expensive looking suit that was obviously tailored   
  
to him, and carried a briefcase.  
  
Ranma turned and bowed slightly to him. "Chad.   
  
You made it here quicker than I expected."  
  
Chad nodded thanks to Kasumi, who went back to   
  
the kitchen. "Ranma, I hope you enjoyed the break."  
  
"Yes, actually, but I was hoping for a little   
  
more time."  
  
Chad looked at Akane pointedly, but neither teen   
  
said anything. He snorted and looked back to Ranma.   
  
"An old friend of yours has popped up again."  
  
Ranma's brow wrinkled as he thought. "Which   
  
one? I can't think of any that I've heard about   
  
lately."  
  
"You wouldn't. He just escaped from prison a   
  
month ago, and it's been kept pretty hush hush since   
  
then. They didn't even tell me until a couple weeks   
  
ago, and since you haven't been checking in . . ."  
  
"Arg! I'm on vacation Chad!"  
  
"Chasing down your father's old nemesis isn't my   
  
idea of a vacation. So, did you get your revenge   
  
yet?"  
  
Ranma turned a bright crimson and looked quickly   
  
at Akane askance. "It didn't work quite like that.   
  
The guy turned out to be Pop's best friend, and the   
  
two of them engaged their future children."  
  
Chad raised an eyebrow and looked between the   
  
two teens. A slow smile lit across his face. "Well   
  
Ranma, it appears you'll finally get to tell someone   
  
about your secret job. I never thought you'd be one   
  
to get a family, but that's the only way you can   
  
tell anyone about being one of my agents."  
  
Ranma slapped his forehead and Akane blinked.   
  
"Agent? Secret job? What's he talking about   
  
Ranma?"  
  
"Chad, you idiot! I wasn't going to marry her!   
  
It's too dangerous for anyone to be too closely   
  
associated with me."  
  
Chad sighed. "I think it's a bit late for that.   
  
You've been here for a couple days now, and I have   
  
reason to believe that you've been watched."  
  
Ranma scoffed and waved a dismissive hand.   
  
"Impossible. I'd have known it if someone was   
  
tailing me."  
  
"Blast it Ranma, there are people out there   
  
equal to you. You've made a few enemies over the   
  
years and your various . . . jobs."  
  
Akane saw the man shoot her another annoyed   
  
glance and she started to back away. Ranma caught   
  
her arm and smiled faintly. "Don't worry Akane, he   
  
really is a friend, even if he is a little annoyed."   
  
He turned back to Chad. "If there are people out   
  
there with skills equal to mine, I'd be more than   
  
happy for them to come."  
  
"Ranma, you're more important to the agency than   
  
you seem to realize. I want you hidden, and that's   
  
that."  
  
Ranma sighed, "Fine. Then you can escort me to   
  
my place."  
  
"I don't know if that's wise either. I just   
  
don't know what to do. You never were terribly   
  
reasonable if you didn't choose to be, and now the   
  
son of the greatest crime boss in the hemisphere is   
  
after you for killing his father."  
  
Ranma jerked his head up. "Why didn't you say   
  
it was Jaxom?"  
  
Chad growled deep in his throat and threw his   
  
arms up in the air. "Who did you think I was   
  
talking about?"  
  
Ranma shrugged. "I wasn't quite sure. But, if   
  
it's Jaxom, there isn't much to worry about. I've   
  
fought plenty of guards that he'd trained, and it   
  
wasn't all that great of a warm-up. There's nothing   
  
to worry about if I stick around enough to make sure   
  
that the Tendos are safe."  
  
Akane frowned, "If these people aren't that   
  
good, why can't I take care of them?"  
  
"Because they're worse than me, but out of your   
  
league." He saw the defiant gleam in her eye and   
  
turned to look her square in the face. "Trust me on   
  
this Akane, you don't want to mess with these guys."  
  
She nodded solemnly and started to speak until   
  
Kasumi called from the porch.  
  
"Akane? There's a telephone call for you!"  
  
Ranma stretched on the couch as the movie went   
  
off. He'd been watching a horror flick with Akane   
  
and Nabiki, who'd left halfway through. Mr. Tendo   
  
was at some town meeting, and Kasumi had gone to see   
  
some doctor about a book. Now was as good a time as   
  
any to get out without much attention.  
  
Ranma glanced at the clock. It was almost nine,   
  
and fairly dark out.  
  
"I'm heading up to my room Akane."  
  
She glanced at the clock as well, shooting him a   
  
curious look as he stood. "Going to bed already?"  
  
"Nah, just thought I'd do some reading."  
  
She nodded and picked up the empty popcorn bowl   
  
to return to the kitchen. Ranma scooped up three   
  
empty soda cans and tossed them in the trash on his   
  
way out. He glanced up and down the hallway to make   
  
sure nobody was around, and went into his room.  
  
Rather than drawing attention, he left the door   
  
open as he pulled out his cellphone. He dialed a   
  
well-known number and waited.  
  
*Hello?*  
  
"Hey Chad."  
  
*Ranma, is something wrong?*  
  
Ranma almost laughed at the tense voice of his   
  
friend and boss. "No Chad. I haven't seen Jaxom or   
  
any of his men. But, I do need a favor."  
  
*Anything.*  
  
"I just need to run to my house and get a few   
  
things. I figure if I sneak out while it's dark, I   
  
can be back within the hour."  
  
*Don't you think someone will notice you getting   
  
in your car if you're being watched?*  
  
Ranma smirked and glanced out the window. "Nah,   
  
cause I don't plan on driving. I'll jog to my place   
  
and back. It will be good endurance practice if   
  
nothing else."  
  
There was a pause, and Ranma feared that he   
  
would be turned down. *I suppose there's no harm,   
  
as long as you're careful.*  
  
"Aren't I always?"  
  
*Please don't ask that Ranma!* There was a   
  
click and Ranma shook his head as he put the phone   
  
back up. He looked up slowly at the knock on the   
  
door. Nabiki raised a querying eyebrow, and he   
  
gestured her in.  
  
"Can I help you, Nabiki?"  
  
She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms   
  
over her sweater. "I just had a couple questions   
  
before I went out."  
  
"At this hour on a school night?"   
  
She smiled sarcastically for a moment before   
  
clearing her expression. "Will you answer some   
  
questions or not?"  
  
He spread his hands to show that he was at her   
  
command. She rolled her eyes, "First of all, what   
  
do you have to do with the Nishiguchi's?"  
  
He restrained a flinch. She must have been near   
  
enough to overhear his and Chad's conversation in   
  
the yard. "Chad sent me there to work for   
  
Nishiguchi, undercover of course."  
  
She narrowed her eyes, "But the Nishiguchi gang   
  
fizzled over a year ago, and your friend said that   
  
you'd only been working for him for a year."  
  
Ranma waved a hand, "Chad's just estimating. He   
  
rolled it down so it didn't sound like I'd been with   
  
him very long. Actually, taking down Nishiguchi was   
  
the first job I did for Chad. Though, to be honest,   
  
I had a very minor role."  
  
She frowned and pushed herself from the   
  
doorjamb. "Look Soatome, I'm in the business of   
  
half truths too. I can smell one a mile away, and   
  
you reek of them. I don't care who you or your   
  
father are, or what happens to you, but don't hurt   
  
my family."  
  
She spun on her heel and padded down the hall.   
  
Ranma watched the empty doorway for a long time,   
  
until he heard the front door open and close. He   
  
cocked his head curiously before grabbing his   
  
trench.  
  
He found Akane in her room and knocked with a   
  
small smile. She smiled up at him until she noted   
  
the coat with some concern.  
  
"Where are you going? I thought you weren't   
  
supposed to go out."  
  
He shrugged, "I took it up with Chad and he   
  
approved since it was dark and I promised to be   
  
careful. I'm heading to my house and I'll be back   
  
within an hour or so. Don't worry."  
  
Before she could mutter a single comment, he'd   
  
gone back to his room and hopped out the window.   
  
The front door was too conspicuous. He jumped down   
  
to the ground from the porch roof and then over the   
  
garden wall. He took off at a brisk jog through the   
  
silent, narrow streets.  
  
Akane hunched further over her desk and   
  
scribbled furiously. Her essay was almost finished,   
  
and then she could turn in for the night. She was   
  
just starting another sentence when she heard an odd   
  
ringing. For an instant she thought it was the   
  
phone in the hall, but then she realized that it   
  
sounded different.  
  
She stood curiously and poked her head into the   
  
hallway. It seemed to be coming from down the hall.   
  
Actually, the sound was coming from Ranma's room.   
  
She frowned slightly and pushed his door open. She   
  
immediately saw the small cellular phone on the   
  
dresser and approached it.  
  
She bit her lip and picked it up. Hesitantly,   
  
she pushed the Send button.   
  
"Hello?"  
  
There was a brief pause. *Who is this? Where's   
  
Ranma?*  
  
She smiled brightly. "OH! Mr. Chad! It's   
  
Akane. Ranma's just stepped out, but—"  
  
*Akane, listen to me. There are people coming   
  
after Ranma. They're bad karma, and they won't   
  
hesitate to hurt you or anyone else there with you.   
  
Get out of there right now! Go somewhere safe, and   
  
go quickly.*  
  
She thought briefly of arguing, but there was a   
  
sure tone to his voice that changed her mind. She   
  
nodded curtly, "Right! I'll just leave a note for   
  
Ranma so he'll know that you called and to leave—"  
  
*NO! Leave now! Hang up and run!*  
  
There was a click and a dial tone. Without   
  
thought, Akane turned toward the door, clutching the   
  
phone and her pencil. There was a splitting pain   
  
and darkness enveloped her like a sudden eclipse.  
  
Precisely one hour and three minutes after   
  
leaving, Ranma emerged into his room once more   
  
through the window. He threw his coat off after   
  
lightly putting the heavy suitcase he'd returned   
  
with on the floor. He smiled and stepped into the   
  
hallway. Kasumi was coming up the stairs as he did   
  
so, and she smiled at him.  
  
"Hello Ranma. Is Akane in her room? I wanted   
  
to tell her about the funniest thing that Dr. Tofu   
  
did . . ."  
  
He shrugged, "She was when I left."  
  
She cocked her head in that Kasumi-like way,   
  
"Oh, did you go out? I thought you were going to be   
  
staying in for a few days."  
  
He nodded, "I will be now, but I had to go to my   
  
place to get some things so I could train Akane some   
  
more."  
  
"How sweet! I'll just tell her about Dr. Tofu   
  
quickly then, and you and Akane can talk."  
  
Kasumi knocked on the door and waited for a   
  
moment. During the brief silence, she reached up   
  
and straightened the ducky nameplate on the door.  
  
Ranma frowned at the silence, and stepped   
  
completely into the hallway, cocking his head in an   
  
attempt to get a better view of the door.   
  
Kasumi smiled and called out cheerfully, "Akane?   
  
I've got something to tell you!" She cracked open   
  
the door and looked in. "How odd." Her face didn't   
  
change expression, so he deduced that there wasn't   
  
anything extremely peculiar in her view.  
  
She turned and smiled at him, pushing the door   
  
further open. "It doesn't appear she's here." She   
  
glanced up and down the hall, "Akane? Where are   
  
you?"  
  
As Kasumi went to the top of the stairs and   
  
called from there, Ranma stepped into the room.   
  
There was no sign of struggle. In fact, her history   
  
book was still open and standing on her desk,   
  
precariously propped up in front of an open   
  
notebook.  
  
Ranma shrugged and turned to walk back into the   
  
hall. The door, still partly closed, had a short   
  
silver throwing-style knife embedded into it. A   
  
scrap of paper was attached to the door with it.   
  
Ranma plucked out the knife and caught the paper as   
  
Kasumi stepped into the room.  
  
"Ranma, I don't think . . . oh dear."  
  
Ranma ignored her and studied the knife. A rose   
  
was etched delicately into the hilt. He slipped the   
  
knife into his wrist bracer that he always wore   
  
under his sleeves. He skimmed the note twice before   
  
looking up at Kasumi.  
  
"How long before everyone else gets home?"  
  
The sounds of cheerful voices and movement   
  
downstairs answered him. He grabbed Kasumi's wrist   
  
and pulled her gently downstairs. Soun and Nabiki   
  
looked up at him as he and Kasumi came into view.   
  
At the sight of their expressions, they froze.  
  
Ranma bowed solemnly to Mr. Tendo as he dropped   
  
Kasumi's wrist. "Sir, an old enemy of mine has   
  
resurfaced and kidnapped Akane."  
  
The man's eyes widened in disbelief, "What! How   
  
dare you—"  
  
Ranma broke in. "I'm not sure we're safe here,   
  
and I need to leave now if I'm going to get to her   
  
in time. I'm taking you three to my place, and then   
  
I'm going after them, alright?"  
  
Soun had been beginning to tear up at the eyes,   
  
but now he seemed determined. "Of course, the two   
  
of us shall—"  
  
"No! These guys are trouble, and you need to   
  
watch your daughters. There's no time to pack, just   
  
follow me."  
  
With only minor convincing, he managed to get   
  
them all squeezed into the tiny sports car. Within   
  
minutes, they were pulling up to a house easily   
  
three times the size of the Tendo residence. Ranma   
  
pulled up to the door and got out. He pulled a key   
  
from his pocket and pulled Nabiki up to the security   
  
system.  
  
He quickly told her the basics, and she repeated   
  
them perfectly before going through the steps   
  
herself to disarm the system. He opened the door   
  
and the three Tendos followed him inside. He closed   
  
the door and flipped on the lights.  
  
"You are to live here until I get back and   
  
personally tell you otherwise. Nabiki, I would not   
  
recommend you going to school, but since the weekend   
  
is coming up, you won't miss much. Order food to be   
  
delivered from a grocery store (there's a number on   
  
the fridge) and tell them to put it on my tab.   
  
Don't open the door; make them leave it on the   
  
porch. Do not let anyone into the house unless they   
  
are close family friends."  
  
He reached into a wallet and grabbed a credit   
  
card. Nabiki noticed several others, all of them   
  
metallic. He glanced between them and handed it to   
  
Kasumi. He made eye contact with each one.   
  
"Understood?" They all nodded and he gave a curt   
  
nod as well.  
  
"Follow me." He led them up the stairs to the   
  
second floor. "These are mostly all bedrooms. Take   
  
your pick." He went to one door and brought opened   
  
it. The Tendos waited in stunned silence for   
  
several minutes until he came back out with a   
  
bulging travel pack. Nabiki frowned briefly as he   
  
brought out a key and locked the door.  
  
"I've got to go now. Remember what I said and   
  
you'll be fine. I'm not worried about this guy, but   
  
I don't want to make Akane worry more than she has   
  
to. I'll be back within a week. If it will be   
  
longer, I'll call. Don't go anywhere alone until I   
  
get back, preferably nowhere."  
  
With that, he left. Three people stood huddled   
  
in the dark corridor for sometime after the sounds   
  
of Ranma's powerful engine died away.  
  
Ranma reached into his pack as it sat next to   
  
him in the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the   
  
airport waiting area. He pulled out his spare phone   
  
(one of many, actually) and dialed a familiar   
  
number.  
  
After one and a half rings, there was a voice on   
  
the other end.  
  
*Hello?* Chad's voice was tense and rushed.  
  
"Chad."  
  
*Ranma, thank the gods!*  
  
"Where's Akane?" He kept his voice and face   
  
light, expressionless, due to the crowds.  
  
*I found out that Jaxom's tailing you. He was   
  
going after—he got her, didn't he?*  
  
"Yeah, I stepped out the other night and found   
  
the note when I got back. I'm meeting them in   
  
China, an old hangout."  
  
*No you're not! Where is it, and I'll send my   
  
best men.*  
  
Ranma smirked and glanced about casually. He   
  
flicked a glance at his watch. "Now Chad, what are   
  
you talking about? I am your best man!" The old   
  
woman sitting next to him chuckled and winked at   
  
him.  
  
Ranma grinned at her. "Naw, it'll be child's   
  
play. Trust me. My plane's boarding now, just   
  
arrange for me a car to be waiting."  
  
*Where's that?*  
  
Ranma chuckled, "Don't tell me you can't find   
  
that out, or are you slipping?"  
  
Ranma hung up and stood, swinging his pack on as   
  
he bowed his head to the woman. She returned the   
  
gesture and waved cheerily at him as he boarded the   
  
passenger plane. First class or course, but not the   
  
private affairs he was used to.  
  
Kasumi brought the credit card to her face as   
  
Nabiki flicked on a light to investigate the house.   
  
There was a folded slip of paper there also. She   
  
blinked and began to unfold it.  
  
Nabiki opened the only unlocked door in the   
  
hallway that she hadn't already investigated. "Wow!   
  
Ranma must be loaded! Every room is simply   
  
spectacular, and all the bedrooms have TV's and   
  
stereos and everything."   
  
Of course, the fact that there were at least   
  
eight bedrooms in the large house did not miss   
  
Kasumi, but she was staring at the crumpled history   
  
essay in her hand in puzzlement. Frowning, she   
  
turned it over and gasped.  
  
Written in a swirled script was a brief note.  
  
Ranma,  
  
She's quite cute, isn't she? Not up to   
  
you're usual standards though. We're taking a   
  
trip to a quaint little training ground in   
  
China. I'm sure you know the one; it is the   
  
only one I've ever seen you pass up.   
  
Oh, and come alone.  
  
The White Rose  
  
Kasumi pocketed the note and forced a casual   
  
expression. Everyone knew of the famous Rose   
  
Dynasty. They were the most famous criminals in   
  
Japan until the ringleader was killed a couple years   
  
ago. She was starting to get worried until she   
  
remembered Ranma's casual wins over Akane.   
  
Smiling, she went looking for the kitchen. She   
  
was confident that Ranma would bring Akane back   
  
soon. 


	3. Friends, Old and New revised

There was an odd herbal scent. It was what woke   
her up, actually. She opened her eyes to find   
herself in a dark enclosed space. Her eyes   
gradually became accustomed to the light, revealing   
the inside of a small hut. It appeared to be made   
of rough planks and had a straw roof over dirt   
floors. Evidently the architect had put dried herbs   
in the roof as well as hung them all through the   
place.  
She was light-headed and it took her awhile to   
notice that she was bound. In fact, her arms were   
behind her back and tied to her ankles. She could   
feel the tenseness of her muscles and vaguely   
dreaded the next time she had to stand.   
There was one window, but it had been sloppily   
boarded up. Thin streaks of moonlight slipped   
through the planks on the window and all around the   
door.  
She heard a voice and looked to the door. There   
was a squeak as it opened and the dark gray form of   
a man came into view.  
"Ah! She's awake at last. Greetings Ms. Tendo.   
How was your nap?"  
She squinted up at him, "Who are you?"  
She was surprised to notice how hard it had been   
to organize that small thought. What kind of herbs   
were those anyway?"  
The man chuckled and knelt next to her. "Me?   
Why, my name is Jaxom, and I'll be your host for a   
short while. Until Ranma shows up at least."  
She bit her lip, worrying and pondering what to   
do. She thought pleasantly of her sparring with   
Ranma, the Japanese martial arts champion, and   
smiled weakly as she slipped into a drugged sleep.  
  
Ranma got off the plane and retrieved his pack.   
A little physical work and some quick excuses had   
him traveling through the Chinese airport as a rare   
weapons dealer. He smirked as he pocketed his   
wallet. Money was the best excuse for anything.  
He stepped outside and found a man with a sheet   
of paper reading "Tome" in both Japanese and   
Mandarin. He nodded his thanks as the man handed   
him keys and pointed out a jeep. With a quick wave,   
he threw his pack in the back and was soon driving   
off.  
  
Nabiki studied the lock on the door. It was a   
standard door lock that came on any door in a common   
hardware store. She straightened and smirked. With   
a couple minutes of jiggling picks, the door swung   
easily open at a touch.  
She poked her head into an average looking room   
(if you consider sheer opulence average) with no   
obvious signs that the resident was anything but   
young and rich. There were a couple of Chinese silk   
shirts thrown about, but the rest of the room was   
spotless aside from the occasional dust.  
She stroked the silk sheets and drapes on the   
four-poster bed and looked at the three doors along   
the back wall. They were evenly spaced with   
elaborate carving covering their entire surfaces.   
She walked up and opened the first one to reveal   
a very well stocked walk-in closet. She noted the   
designer labels in the tuxes and the multitude of   
Chinese and street clothes, all of the finest   
quality. Bored, she ignored the shoes and   
accessories in turn for the middle door.  
As she opened it, she nearly gasped. Moonlight   
slipped through the bay window in the back, washing   
the marble and chrome bathroom in silver-blue light.   
Every surface was a beautiful gold and crème marble   
aside from the mirrors and window. Hanging plants   
retrieved sunlight through the enormous skylight   
that filled most of the ceiling.  
After scrounging through near-empty medicine   
cabinets and a closet, she went to the final door to   
the far right of the room. She stared wryly at the   
final room, not at all surprised as the final door   
revealed a traditional dojo. Neither was she   
surprised that it was as spotless as the rest of the   
house and twice the size of the Tendo dojo.  
She shrugged and closed the door. Why had he   
bothered to lock the door if there wasn't anything   
interesting in here? She crossed her arms over her   
chest and scanned the room. Aside from an antique   
desk, a fireplace, two wingback chairs, one window   
with velvet curtains, the bed, two nightstands, and   
an oriental rug, the room was empty.  
She had hoped at least for a safe tucked behind   
a painting, but there wasn't a thing on any of the   
walls. The mantle held his Championship trophy, but   
nothing else. She cocked her head and walked up to   
examine the mantle. Licking her lips she poked and   
prodded every nook and whorl in the elaborately   
carved mantle to no avail.  
With a sigh she went back to her room. She had   
arranged for a friend to pick her up tomorrow   
morning and drive her to school. The fact that the   
friend was a martial artist nearly as good as Kuno   
and happened to be on leave from the armed service   
didn't hurt.  
Within five minutes she was back in bed and   
drifting off to sleep.  
  
Akane opened her eyes as the familiar squeak of   
the door interrupted her frantic thoughts. She   
seemed to have been here for quite some time, but   
she couldn't be sure. She had no idea how long   
she'd been drugged and was trying to make them   
believe that the herbs still affected her.  
One of the men in baggy white pants and a   
spotless white tank top knelt next to her and   
roughly propped her up against the wall. She winced   
as her strained muscles screamed at the movement.   
She was still restrained, wrists and ankles bound   
together behind her.  
He began spooning soup into her mouth, managing   
to keep most of it in her mouth rather than on her   
clothes. He was silent through the embarrassing   
ordeal and left as soon as the bowl was empty.  
She had no idea what was going on. The man in   
the suit she'd seen right after waking up that first   
time hadn't reappeared. She had seen three men in   
the white outfits so far, but nothing else. The   
only sounds were rowdy conversations from the men,   
birdcalls, and lapping water.  
She sighed and dropped her head to her chest,   
still sitting up. The course ropes were rubbing her   
wrists and ankles raw, not to mention her shoulder,   
back, and leg muscles. She really hoped somebody   
showed up soon, preferably Ranma or the army, anyone   
that could teach these losers some manners.  
  
Ranma pulled the jeep up in front of a dry goods   
store in some village. He was almost there, but   
he'd have to leave the jeep tomorrow due to rough   
terrain. He got out of the car and went into the   
store. A man behind the counter haggled with an   
elderly woman over flour and eggs as Ranma picked up   
some camping rations.  
He stepped up to the counter as the woman left,   
paying the first price the man muttered. When he   
looked confused and asked if the price suited Ranma,   
the boy smirked.  
*Yes, I don't really care. Trust me, you can   
use the money more than I*   
He grabbed the paper bag and stepped into the   
street. The sound of two frustrated voices didn't   
faze Ranma for a moment, until he realized one voice   
was speaking Japanese. He turned and saw a boy   
about his own age. He squinted, knowing the teen   
was familiar.   
With a grin, Ranma launched the bag of groceries   
into his car and trotted across the street.  
"Ryoga! Long time no see!"  
The black-haired boy looked up in confusion.   
"Uh, do I know—Ranma?"  
Ranma nodded and slapped him on the back,   
receiving a frown for his troubles.  
"Where have you been? Did you think you could   
run long enough and just drop off the face of the   
planet?" Ryoga slapped away Ranma's hand and glared   
at him. His whole face was tense, and it was   
painfully obvious that he was fighting to keep from   
punching Ranma.  
Ranma blinked. "It wasn't really my fault   
Ryoga. Ya mind coming over to my car so I can   
explain?"  
Ryoga grudgingly complied, walking stiffly to   
the jeep. Ranma began packing the food away as he   
spoke. "Well, ya remember the girl that was in your   
class, the one that walked with us to the school   
every day?"   
Ryoga nodded, still glaring, "Yeah, she was your   
sister or something."  
Ranma smiled and shook his head. "Nah, I worked   
for her old man. When her big brother got sick, I   
started walking her to school every day. That's how   
I met you. Then, well, I changed jobs we'll say,   
and it was kinda sudden. I'm real sorry man, but I   
couldn't get a hold of you without putting you in   
danger."  
Ryoga looked at him suspiciously. "Really?"  
Ranma nodded and raised his right hand. "I   
swear it on my Pop's honor! I'd explain more, but I   
gotta rescue my fiancée. Some old mobster kidnapped   
her. Ya got a stable address where I can get a hold   
of you, or do ya still have that problem?"  
Ryoga blushed silently and dug a toe in the dirt   
road. "Actually, yeah. Uh, could you point me to   
Japan? Nobody here understands me and—"  
"Ryoga, old buddy, how about you stick with me.   
I'll get ya back to Japan in a few days."  
He looked up expectantly, like a puppy hoping   
for a treat. "Really? I mean, it won't be any   
trouble? I'll help ya get your girlfriend back and   
everything."  
Ranma nodded and smiled. "Sure! But you'll   
have to stick close so you don't wander off."  
  
Kasumi watched the delivery boy ride off on his   
bike before going to the door and retrieving the   
groceries. She went into the kitchen to put them up   
when the phone rang. Nabiki, sitting at the island   
doing homework, exchanged a glance with Kasumi   
before picking it up.  
"UH, hello?"  
*Nabiki? Is that you?*  
"Ranma? Yeah, it's me."  
*Great! I'm leaving the last village with   
telephones now, so I just thought I'd call and check   
in. I've drafted an old friend for help, and I hope   
to gain a few other allies too before going in, but   
they're all on the way.*  
"Well, that's convenient." How'd he know so   
many people in China?  
*Yup. So, I'll call back in a few days. Oh,   
how's everybody else doing?*  
"Fine. Kasumi took your food advice and your   
kitchen is now well stocked, I'm skipping school but   
I've got all my books and calling friends for   
homework, and Dad is vegged out on the couch."  
*Oh. Tell him not to worry, I've fought this   
guy several times. See ya soon.*  
Ranma sighed and dragged Ryoga back onto the   
path. "Can't you just hold onto the back of my pack   
or something?"  
"Oh, sure." Ryoga's reply was distracted. He   
was still a little embarrassed about Ranma helping   
him, but Ranma was making it seem like he really   
needed Ryoga's help more than anything. It was   
starting to work as they sat around the campfire the   
evening after they left their jeep at the end of the   
last trail wider than an arm's span.  
"Thanks for coming Ryoga."  
Ryoga waved a hand and swallowed a mouthful of   
trail mix. "No problem."  
"No, I mean it. If I have to worry about Akane,   
I might mess up in the fight. But, if I worry too   
much about the fight, she could get hurt." He   
frowned, "Her father would never forgive me."  
Ryoga chuckled and popped a raisin down his   
throat. "Tell me Ranma, what happened to your   
quest? Did you finish it, or give it up?"  
Ranma stared at the burning logs, his face   
unreadable. Ryoga was one of the few people that   
knew the whole story of his life long quest. After   
a long moment, he said, "That's actually why I'm   
here. Tendo is Akane's father. He was supposed to   
get his daughters prepared for my arrival so that   
one of them could be engaged to me when Pop and I   
got there."  
Ryoga blinked, cocked his head, and blinked   
again. Then he burst into laughter. "That's the   
funniest thing I've ever heard!"  
Ranma frowned. "Thanks man. I'm glad you find   
it amusing that I spent my childhood preparing for   
something that would never happen."  
Ryoga calmed down and returned to his trail mix,   
still chuckling on occasion. "Look at it this way,   
at least ya got a lot of training. Besides, that   
goal got you through some tough times."  
Ranma nodded slowly and sighed. "Yeah, but it   
put Akane into one. If it weren't for our Pops   
knowing each other, she wouldn't have been   
kidnapped."  
Ryoga shrugged, "But you say this guy's a bad   
fighter, right? Then you'll beat him, save the   
girl, get married, and run a dojo like the happy   
little husband."  
Ranma stared at Ryoga like he'd suddenly gone   
mad. "I'm not actually gonna marry her! I'll make   
some kind of financial repercussions or something."  
Ryoga studied his old friend. "Financial   
repercussions, huh? Ranma, how do you plan on doing   
that?"  
Ranma made a curt hand gesture. "There wasn't a   
written contract that I know of. I'll get a lawyer   
if I have to, but only as a last resort. Then I'll   
just pay their family something in the range of six   
figures. Easy, simple, quick, and I can get back to   
work."  
"Six figures? Ranma, how much money do you   
have?"  
Ranma's head shot up. He stared Ryoga in the   
eye, knowing he'd made a mistake. Ryoga didn't have   
much money. He traveled from town to town doing odd   
jobs to pay for the food and supplies he went   
through on his wanderings. Ranma wasn't even sure   
how much he was worth.  
"Moneys not important. I'd give every cent I   
have if it meant that nobody would ever be harmed   
because of me."  
"Then why not just pay a ransom for Akane?"  
Ranma shrugged and returned his gaze to the   
fire. "They don't want one Ryoga, didn't ask for   
one. I killed Jaxom's father. He doesn't want   
money, only revenge."  
Ryoga's eyes widened. "You killed him?"  
Ranma nodded slowly. "I'm not proud of some   
things Ryoga. I've got very little to be proud of,   
actually."  
Ryoga shook his head. "No, you've got a lot.   
You honored your father's wishes at great cost to   
yourself. And now you're wandering off to China to   
save a girl. You don't have to, ya know. You could   
just turn around and disappear in Japan."  
Ryoga narrowed his eyes, studying Ranma intently   
for a moment before breaking into a grin. "Trust   
me, I do it all the time!"  
Ranma looked up and grinned. "Thanks man. No,   
I've gotta help her. First of all, she's there   
because of me. Besides, I took her family to my   
place to stay where it's safer."  
They both laughed at that. Not long later they   
were turning in for the night.  
  
Akane rolled her shoulders gently forward. It   
hurt, but it was getting better. She glared at the   
door. How long had she been here? She'd been   
conscious for two days now, but what about before   
that?  
She sighed and tried to work her legs. If she   
was gonna get out of here, she'd have to be able to   
move.  
  
Ranma grabbed the staff that was swung at his   
head. *My name is Ranma Soatome. I am the ward of   
Koh lohn.*  
The guard stopped and leaned forward to study   
his face. Ryoga edged carefully toward the other   
guard. Ranma wished he could recall their names,   
but it's hard to learn a village of names in a   
couple of months.  
The guard's face broke into a grin. *Ranma!   
It's about time you showed back up! Go on in.*  
Ranma nodded, *What about my friend? I'll vouch   
for him. *  
She winked and waved them both in. Ranma smiled   
and made his way through the village, stopping at a   
hut he knew well. He tapped the doorframe.  
"Cologne?"  
After a brief pause, a wrinkled face like a   
giant shriveled raisin from Ryoga's trail mix poked   
its head through the opening. Ryoga gasped and   
jumped back. The raisin grinned and jumped out to   
give Ranma a brief hug from atop its cane.  
"Ranma! What brings you back to us?"  
Ranma smiled sadly. "It's a long story. Do you   
know where Sham is?"  
Cologne nodded wisely and gestured the two boys   
in.  
  
Shampoo poked her head into her great-  
grandmother's hut with an expectant look. As her   
eyes lit on Ranma and she squealed happily as she   
jumped across the hut to land next to him, arms   
wrapped around his neck.  
*Brother! *  
Ryoga raised an eyebrow but remained silent.   
Ranma calmly disentangled her. "Japanese Shampoo,   
you've gotta learn sometime."  
She sighed. "But your Mandarin is better over   
my Japanese." She sat down between Ranma and   
Cologne with a pout.  
Ranma smiled softly. "Yes, but Ryoga here   
doesn't know any Mandarin."  
Ryoga raised an eyebrow. *Who says? *  
Ranma blinked and Ryoga continued with a   
chuckle. "Actually, I don't know very much. I   
would prefer Japanese."  
Shampoo consented with a reluctant nod. "Okay.   
So why are you back Ranma?"  
Ranma's face went blank. "I was staying with an   
old friend of my father's when my old rival   
kidnapped Tendo's daughter."  
The two amazons shared a concerned glance.   
Cologne leaned forward. "Tendo? Isn't that the   
name of the man you were preparing to fight?"  
Ranma blushed a little. "Well, it seems that we   
misinterpreted that post card. I don't have to   
fight anyone to inherit the school, I'm just   
supposed to marry one of Tendo's daughters."  
Shampoo blinked and burst into laughter. "Ranma   
no can marry little girl!"  
"She's not little, she's our age. But it's too   
dangerous to marry anyone. I mean look, she was   
kidnapped just because I was staying with her   
family."  
Shampoo sobered. "Then why rescue girl?"  
Ranma looked disappointed. "Because it's my   
fault she was taken. She could be hurt."  
Cologne nodded. "It is only fair, and utterly   
honorable. After you rescue her, it will both pay   
the honor debt you owe her family and give you an   
excuse to break the engagement." There was a spark   
in her eye as she winked at him. "Very nice move   
Ranma."  
He groaned. "That's not why I'm doing it! I'm   
going to pay them or something to get out of this   
whole arrangement. But that's not important. I   
want to leave at dawn for Jusenkyo."  
Shampoo gasped, "Ranma! You no learn yet that   
Jusenkyo very bad place?"  
"I agree, young one. I've told you of the   
horrors at that place. Why would you want to go   
there?"  
"That's where Jaxom took Akane. I'm going after   
her."  
Shampoo leaned over, "No Ranma! No go there!"  
Cologne seemed lost in thought for a moment.   
"No granddaughter. He is set on going. You will go   
with him and his young friend." She met Ranma's   
eyes. "I'm sorry, but you aren't an official   
Amazon. I can't send any villagers to that place   
except for Shampoo who, I'm sure, will go   
willingly."  
"Yes! Shampoo follow Brother anywhere!"  
"Thank you Shampoo, and you Cologne. It's more   
than I'd hoped for." He bowed to both.  
  
Akane bit her cheek to keep from gasping as her   
hand slipped through the ties. She sat there   
breathing heavily until she managed to arch her back   
and get her legs and arms in front of her. It was a   
slow and painful process, but the pain left a   
satisfying soreness that was slowly easing.  
She had no idea how long she sat there, but she   
didn't move again until her muscles stopped   
contracting and convulsing randomly. At last she   
stood slowly, leaning heavily on the wall. She   
paced shakily back and forth across the floor.  
With a determined expression, she looked toward   
the door.  
  
Ranma edged toward the edge of the cliff that   
overlooked the valley. The camp itself was twenty   
feet away from the pools. There were what appeared   
to be twelve two-man tents for the guards, Three   
larger tents of unknown contents (Though Ranma   
suspected that on was Jaxom's), a hut, and a   
spattering of small campfires with pots simmering   
over them at intervals through the tight camp.  
He'd hated waiting a whole afternoon and evening   
watching, but they now knew that Jaxom had between   
twenty and thirty men, closer to twenty though,   
wandering aimlessly in small groups.  
Their plan was to go in together, avoiding   
groups of guards but taking them out quietly if they   
encountered any. They'd make their way to the three   
main tents next to the hunt, examining all three one   
at a time until they found Jaxom, Akane, or both.  
Then, Shampoo and Ryoga would get Akane out and   
Ranma'd take out Jaxom.  
Well, that was the plan.  
Ranma had just left the tree line and was   
skirting the light from the nearest campfire when he   
noticed the shapes of people through the backlit   
canvas of the tent next to him. He gestured to   
Ryoga and Shampoo to stop and he leaned closer to   
the canvas.  
He heard chuckles. "Well, what's this?"  
There was a pause, but he didn't think they were   
in the tent. They seemed to be on the opposite side   
of the tent, in the narrow aisle that created the   
labyrinth of a campsite. He caught his friends'   
eyes and jerked his head toward the voices. There   
was nowhere to go until they took out these guards.  
  
Akane made her way quietly through the camp.   
She had been lucky enough that she hadn't seen   
another soul yet when she finally saw a forest   
through a gap between two tents. She sighed and   
heard a gravelly chuckle behind her.  
"Well, what's this?"  
Akane turned slowly to see five men approaching   
her. She nearly collapsed in tears. She could   
barely walk! How could she fight five men twice her   
size?  
There was a grunt as the man farthest to the   
left collapsed, clutching his throat. A girl with   
purple hair had kicked him there before falling into   
a defensive stance to wait for a second man to   
approach her.  
A boy with black hair fell from the sky,   
cracking an umbrella over the man next to last man's   
head. He landed and immediately spun the parasol   
into the man farthest to her right's jaw.  
Akane nearly cried as Ranma sent knife into one   
man's shoulder and a simultaneous kick to the man   
next to him. Since that man had been going toward   
the girl, she finished him off with a kick. Ranma   
took out the final one with an elbow to the top of   
the head.   
As he straightened (and the man in white   
collapsed to the ground), Ranma turned to her with a   
smile.  
"How's it going?" He spoke quietly, but it was   
enough. Akane burst into silent tears.  
"Thank the gods! They've had me tied up and I   
can barely walk—"  
  
He held a finger to his lips and looked around.   
Her three heroes clustered around her. The boy   
looked at her curiously while the girl seemed to be   
appraising her. Ranma scanned her up and down   
before turning to the girl.  
"Sham, can you take her to the village?"  
She nodded happily. "No problem!"  
The girl tried to drag Akane off, but she   
resisted. "Ranma!"  
He smiled calmly to her. "Don't worry, Sham   
will take care of you. I've got to take out the guy   
that nabbed you." He seemed to think for a moment   
and was about to say something when they heard more   
voices approaching.  
"Ryoga, go with them. If somebody shows up, you   
try to take care of them so Sham can get Akane out   
of here."  
Ryoga glanced over his shoulder to the voices.   
"Okay, but as soon as they're clear I'm coming   
back."  
"No! You won't be able to find me, and it will   
be easier to sneak around by myself. Just get the   
girls to the village."  
He frowned, "Right."   
Ranma waited long enough for them to get around   
the tent before he went further into the camp. He   
made his way to the three large tents. The first   
one, anti-climatically enough, was full of supplies.  
He found a loose corner and peered beneath it   
quick enough to see a desk, a cot, and a wingback   
chair with its back to Ranma, a pair of gray pants-  
clad legs sticking out from beneath it.  
Ranma smirked and scrambled beneath the bottom   
of the tent, standing up inside. Nobody else was   
inside, and only the sparse furniture was visible.   
One foot tapped up and down aimlessly as if counting   
music.  
Ranma flipped over the chair, landing so he was   
facing its occupant. Jaxom, a little older than   
Ranma remembered him. Jaxom had silver hair that   
Ranma had always assumed was natural. Now, however,   
he had some dark roots showing just above his   
forehead as he smiled at Ranma. He bowed his head   
in greeting.  
"Hello Ranma."  
"Jaxom. Why not just attack me instead of   
taking a girl?"  
"Because I wanted you here for a reason. I   
didn't want you dead in a Tokyo gutter because   
you're better than that. And so am I."  
Ranma shook his head. "The only thing you're   
better than, is your father. That's not a   
compliment by the way."  
He bowed his head again; this time to show that   
he had heard but didn't deem it worthy of a   
response. "I wanted to challenge you to a real   
match. One with out distractions or government   
suits to butt in. Thus, I challenge you, Ranma   
Soatome, for my father's honor."  
Ranma let out a short bark of a laugh. "Your   
father's honor? What honor? He made bets and sent   
me off to kill people that made him mad or managed   
to win those bets. He was a lying, murdering cheat   
that didn't care about anything except money and   
making people suffer for his amusement."  
"I've spent my whole life trying to avenge my   
father, an honorable fighter who never hurt a soul.   
I only killed those men for your father because they   
were, to the most part, just as bad as him. Now   
I'll kill you so that Akane and her family will be   
safe."  
Jaxom chuckled softly and stood. "Very well,   
try it. You know, I've done a lot of training since   
we parted. Every day I get up and practice from   
dawn till dusk under one master or another, alone if   
I have to, with your face at the end of every punch   
and kick."  
Ranma followed him with his eyes as Jaxom made   
his way to the door. "It takes more than drive to   
make a fighter, Jaxom."  
"True, but I have a few good tricks out of the   
deal." With that he spun and ran out of the tent,   
Ranma hot on his heels. He saw Jaxom duck into the   
final of the three large tents and stopped.   
His patience wasn't truly tested, for Jaxom ran   
back out a moment later. "Well, if you won't fall   
for my traps, I'll just fight you the way you like."  
They began a fight that observers would have   
seen as a flurry of blows. Ranma avoided all but a   
few, landing a lot, but Jaxom was obviously wearing   
some major padding. Ranma vaguely noted that they   
were working their way toward the springs, but had   
to force his attention onto the fight.  
  
Akane was struggling to keep up with the other   
two. Ryoga, if she remembered his name correctly,   
noticed and paused to help her.  
"Are you okay? You're sore from being tied up,   
right? Should I carry you?"  
"I'm (pant, pant) fine." She wasn't, and they   
both knew it.  
He frowned. "Sure. C'mon, climb on."  
"Uh, Ryoga?"  
Ryoga and Akane looked up to see what the girl   
was worried about.  
  
Shampoo braked suddenly as the men came into   
view. Eight men in solid white had come out of the   
forest. One had a boar carcass thrown over his   
shoulder and the others had an assortment of guns.  
"Uh, Ryoga?"  
The men pounced, dropping the boar and drawing   
weapons. Shampoo took out three in a few minutes   
before she had time to check on the others. Ryoga   
had three down and was working on his fourth. On   
the other side of him, Akane was struggling with the   
last one.  
Ryoga knocked his guy out and saw Akane. He   
darted over and took the man by surprise with a kick   
to the head. He let Akane lean on his shoulder as   
she caught her breath and rubbed a muscle in her   
upper leg.  
Ryoga looked up at Shampoo, his eyes widening   
suddenly. The next moment he was jumping past her.   
When Shampoo turned, he was punching one guy in the   
jaw and another received a few strong kicks to key   
joints.  
Shampoo blinked as Ryoga came over to her. "Are   
you okay?"  
She nodded and he went past her to help Akane   
back to her feet.  
"Sorry about that. You okay?"  
"Yeah." Akane smiled up at him. "I'm fine.   
Thanks."  
Shampoo glared, but quickly hid it. A minute   
later they were making their way through the forest   
again, Akane supported by Ryoga.  
  
Ryoga paused, forcing Shampoo and Akane (both of   
which were behind him) to stop as well.  
"What is it?" Akane whispered.  
He waved to a path and looked around. "Is it   
just me, or have we been here before?"  
Shampoo looked around the bulky boy and stared.   
"You stupid? This where we just fight ten minute   
ago!" She shook her head in exasperation and moved   
around him. "Follow me!"  
She led them quickly through a blinding maze of   
game trails until they came out at the edge of the   
cliff where they'd observed the camp. She knelt and   
edged up to the drop off.  
"You see Ranma?"  
The other two flanked her, all of them on their   
stomachs. Akane strained her eyes. "I don't see   
anything but the fires. Uh oh."  
AT the very edge of the camp, two men in white   
stumbled across the first five men they'd fought.   
They quickly trotted off to the middle of the three   
main tents.  
Just as they reached the flap, there was an   
explosion at the hut in the camp, followed by   
another at the edge of the pools.  
  
Ranma stared at Jaxom from atop a bamboo pole.   
Jaxom lay sprawled on the narrow path between what   
could be called two extremely large puddles.  
"Give up Jaxom? Ready to leave me and my   
friends alone?"  
Jaxom looked up, glaring at Ranma through his   
silver hair, dark roots showing. A mad grin split   
his lower face.  
"Not quite. I plan for all occasions. You'll   
never get that slut of yours." He raised a device   
and clicked a button. The small wooden hut went up   
in a ball of fire.  
Ranma shrugged, "She's safe and out of your camp   
already Jaxom. Has been for nearly half an hour."  
Stunned horror split the young man's face for a   
brief moment. "It doesn't matter! You'll never see   
her again!" He held up the device, which Ranma   
realized seemed rather large for a remote tied to a   
single explosive.  
"Oh man." Ranma dove for Jaxom, grasping for   
the remote.  
They struggled, but Ranma managed to knock it   
out of Jaxom's hands. It landed six feet away and   
Jaxom dove. He landed on top of it and Ranma heard   
a click. As Jaxom's body exploded, Ranma was thrown   
into a pool of water.  
He held his breath and waited below the surface   
for a moment, the horror of Jaxom being torn apart   
replaying in his mind. Something landed in the   
water next to him, glinting in the moonlight that   
streamed through the water. Ranma caught a silver   
knife just like the one he'd found at the Tendo's.  
The rose engraved knife he'd had was now in that   
first guard's shoulder. Ranma tucked this one into   
his left bracer and surfaced. He purposely averted   
his eyes from the remains of Jaxom and headed   
stealthily to the forest.  
  
Akane, Ryoga, and Shampoo met up with Ranma and   
the four of them raced through the dark to the village. They ignored   
the guards altogether and headed straight to   
Cologne's hut.  
They all stared at Ranma. He blinked. "What?"  
Cologne sighed. "MY boy, it would appear you   
fell in a spring."  
His face lost all color. "Oh! I was thrown   
there by the blast and—what am I?" He looked down   
and gasped, squeezing a breast. He fell to his   
knees.  
The elderly matriarch had been waiting for them   
and poured them each a cup of tea.  
"How did it go, aside from Ranma now being a   
girl?"  
Ranma swirled his tea and stared at it.   
"Jaxom's dead, and here's Akane. Oh. Akane, this   
is Cologne, an Amazon elder. That's Ryoga, an old   
school friend of mine, and Shampoo here is Cologne's   
great-granddaughter."  
Akane blinked, still in shock. "Thank you   
everyone. I don't know how much longer I could have   
lasted. Or what would have happened if you hadn't   
showed up when you did." She was staring straight   
ahead. Though she obviously meant her words, she   
was simply staring at the wall, mentally replaying   
the last few days.  
Ryoga smiled shyly at her. "Well, you made it   
easier by being where you were. We didn't have to   
go looking for you!"  
There was strained laughter and Ranma turned to   
Cologne in desperation. "Tell me about this curse."   
Akane looked up at him in surprise and blinked.  
Cologne studied him for a moment, and then stuck   
a stubby finger into her tea. Judging it to be a   
little over lukewarm, she picked it up and dumped it   
on his head. Akane jerked from the splash and Ryoga   
ended up with a damp spot on his pants leg while   
Ranma reverted to his male side.  
He stared at his hand. "How'd you do that? Do   
I have to dump tea on me every now and then?"  
She closed her eyes briefly, "No Ranma. Cold   
water will turn you into a girl. Warm water changes   
you back."  
He continued to stare intently at his hand, deep   
in thought. He finally nodded. "I can live with   
that. Thank you for all your help, elder."  
Cologne nodded her appreciation, "Thank you for   
teaching me a few tricks Ranma." There was an   
amused grin on her face and Ranma smiled back at   
her.  
  
Ranma flipped on his sunglasses as he drove down   
the bumpy dirt trail the natives considered a road.   
Akane and Ryoga bumped along with him. Akane opened   
the canteen for a drink, restraining a smile as   
Ranma pulled slightly away. He watched her warily   
as she held it up to offer Ryoga. He waved the   
offer aside and she screwed the lid back on.  
Ranma looked down at the cellular phone next to   
the console. How convenient that a phone was built   
into his rental jeep.  
He dialed a number and left it on speaker so he   
could concentrate on avoiding the worst of the   
potholes.  
*Hello? *  
"Chad! How's it going?"  
There was a drawn out silence before Chad   
answered hesitantly, *Ranma? *  
"Yup! I'm surprised the phone's working. I   
suppose it's the altitude. Anyway, we're on our way   
to the airport now."  
*Oh. Same one you arrived at? I'll have your   
jet wait-- *  
"Chad!" Ranma's tone was a warning.  
*Right. Jaxom? *  
Ranma hesitated briefly. "Dead. He blew   
himself up."  
*Oh. Right, well, check in when you get home.   
Will you still be staying at that little dojo? *   
Akane looked miffed at 'little', but remained quiet.  
"Nah, the Tendos will be staying with me for   
awhile. It's safer until your guys get Jaxom's new   
crew rounded up."  
*Makes sense. Talk to you later. Oh, and do   
be careful. Try not to make any more enemies. *   
The dial tone was annoying and Ranma quickly turned   
the phone off.  
"Well, we'll be home in time for dinner if all   
goes well." He smiled brightly to his friends,   
turning in his seat to see Ryoga in the back. An   
extraordinarily large hole forced his attention back   
to the road.  
  
Akane stared at the small personal jet waiting   
for them. She turned to Ranma, "This is yours?"  
"Uh, no. It's a company jet, basically."  
Actually, it was his, but it had certain   
government insignias hidden in plain sight to show   
it's special clearances and jurisdictions.  
Ryoga wandered off toward a big 747 and Ranma   
trotted over to drag him back. "No Ryoga.   
Remember? The little one?"  
"Uh, right. I was, uh, just looking. I don't   
usually fly."  
Ranma shook his head and gestured for Akane to   
go up the little staircase. She nodded and did so,   
reluctantly breaking eye contact with him. Ranma   
seemed so different here, away from people. He was   
carefree and laughing. Of course, they were little   
chuckles and he hadn't really grinned or burst out   
giggling yet, but it was an improvement over the   
somber Ranma from Nerima.  
And she didn't believe that story about the   
plane either.  
  
Ranma hopped out of his car, glad to have a   
speedy sports car back, in his driveway. With a   
stretch, he helped Akane out as Ryoga climbed from   
the back. Akane and Ryoga shared a glance before   
studying the house.  
Akane blinked, "It's . . . nice Ranma."  
He smiled. "Thanks. C'mon in. Your family   
should be here."  
The front door flew open to reveal a teary   
Kasumi, a soapy dish still in her hand.   
"Akane, oh my!" She glided quickly and   
gracefully down the marble steps, sweeping Akane   
into her arms. The oldest Tendo smiled over Akane's   
shoulder at Ranma. "Thank you for bringing her   
home."  
He waved a hand and pulled his pack and Ryoga's   
out of the car. "Here man. Bring your stuff on   
in." Ryoga accepted the pack with an oddly blank   
expression and nodded. The four teenagers went into   
the house.  
Kasumi stepped inside first. "Father! Nabiki!   
They're back!"  
Soun appeared from thin air, arms around Akane   
and Ranma. "Such a wonderful fiancé you have my   
dear Akane! Brave, noble Ranma who risked his life   
to save yours!"  
Ranma tensed slightly, the muscles in his back   
growing hard to the touch against Akane's arm where   
her father had pressed her. His face was   
momentarily blank, as if stunned, until it took a   
sad overtone.  
Akane felt as if her father's grip was that of   
iron, unbreakable, but Ranma pulled free with   
apparent ease. He turned his head smoothly to the   
side in a not quite slow movement to look at Ryoga.  
"Follow me and we'll get you settled into a   
room. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired.   
Akane?" He looked at her, one brow raised to   
question if she would follow him to a room. She   
nodded and he started up the stairs, Ryoga and   
herself following.  
Kasumi reached out to gesture everyone in, a small   
blob of cold soapy water flying to land squarely on   
Ranma's head.   
Glancing between the stunned members of his   
audience with a sheepish grin he muttered, "Uh, yeah, I   
suppose I should explain something . . ."  
  
Ranma sighed and studied his distorted   
reflection in the bathtub's fixtures. The water was   
cooling and he was getting prunes for fingers. He   
got out of the tub and slipped on a silk robe.   
Tying the waist he opened the door and went into the   
main bedroom.  
He stretched his hands over his head, hands   
clasped, and stretched. He turned to the closet,   
his eyes catching on the trophy on the mantle. He   
walked purposely to the trophy and rested his hand   
on the marble mantle.  
With a nostalgic smile he retrieved a small key   
chain from his car keys on the table by his chamber   
door. He walked back to the mantle and studied the   
small black disk. It was a black metallic plastic   
with 'Ryo' inscribed on one side, and 'Dragon' on   
the other.   
He held the side that said Ryo against a small,   
disk-shaped impression in the elaborate design of   
the mantle. With the softest of clicks the wall to   
the right of the fireplace slid aside to reveal a   
small shrine and a cluster of his old belongings.  
A portrait of his father painted from his memory   
and the patient talent of a broke art student hung   
there, surrounded by ribbons from tournaments and   
odd bits and pieces from his career. In the bottom,   
beneath the actual 'shrine' was a hodgepodge of   
childhood memories.  
Something caught his eye and Ranma pulled out a   
small black book. It took him a moment to remember   
that it was the address book that Boss had sent to   
him when he'd gone to Nishiguchi's.   
He flipped through a few pages as he'd done   
dozens of times before. None of the names had made   
any sense before, and he didn't expect them to this   
time. That's why he was surprised when he saw a   
name he did recognize.  
"Koh Lohn?" How had Boss known the matriarch?   
He frowned in thought and glanced at the other   
belongings. He was about to put the book up when   
there was a knock at his door.  
"Ranma?" It was Akane.  
"Just a moment." He pulled the disk from the   
impression in the mantle and the passage slid   
closed. He slipped the disk into the pocket of his   
robe and opened the door.  
"Yes?"  
Akane blinked at him. "Uh, did I interrupt?   
Sorry, I'll come back—"  
It took Ranma a moment to realize that he was   
only wearing a robe and his hair was wet and loose.   
"It's alright. I just got out. Did you need   
something?"  
She blushed a little and gestured at her gi. "I   
was gonna practice and thought you might want to   
come out to the yard with me. It's alright if you   
don't, I know you're probably tired after your trip   
and the fight and all—"  
He smiled and opened the door wider. "That   
would be great! But we don't need to go out into   
the yard. I have a dojo right there."   
Akane looked a little worried and Ranma was glad   
that he'd checked on the dojo earlier and left the   
door open. Akane didn't look as if she would have   
trusted him. Actually, it looked as if she was   
afraid that he was going to rape her or something.  
As it was, she looked hesitantly past his   
shoulder to the doorway he'd pointed at. She smiled   
at the dojo evident on the other side.  
"Wow! That's convenient! You can wake up in   
the morning and go straight to your workout!"  
He smiled, "Yeah. I'd better put some clothes   
on though. You go on in and I'll be right there."  
He left the outer door open on purpose since she   
was still acting a little nervous and headed for his   
closet. She padded quickly to the dojo when she saw   
him open the closet door and he hid an amused grin.  
He waited until he was sure she was gone before   
he closed the closet door and pulled out the first   
set of Chinese clothes he came to. They were light   
blue with a white and silver dragon across the chest   
and wrapping around the waist. Actually, they were   
some of his favorites.  
He took off the robe and stared at his torso in   
obvious pain. He had so many scars. Actually, he   
only had a few and it was a miracle he didn't have   
more considering his life. Still, they each had   
special meaning and heartache to him. He never   
worked out without a shirt because he hated for   
people to see the physical signs of his troubled   
past.  
He put on the clothes and opened the closet   
door. He looked up to see Kasumi standing in his   
doorway, oddly serious.  
She smiled softly when she saw him and nodded   
once in greeting. "Akane was looking for you . . ."  
He nodded, "I know. She's in my dojo. We're   
going to practice."  
"How nice! I'll come back to tell you when   
dinner's ready. It should be soon."  
"Thanks." She smiled and continued down the   
hall. Ranma shook his head. That was weird. He   
shrugged and went into the dojo. Akane was in the   
center of the floor, running through an exercise.  
Ranma watched her carefully and walked up to   
her. He reached out to correct a mistake, lightly   
catching her shoulder.  
  
Akane concentrated on the moves, letting   
everything flow naturally. Father had told her once   
that that was her strength, her ability to let   
things just happen when she practiced a movement.  
She pulled into herself, letting everything but   
her moves fade away. She would be smiling from   
sheer joy if she weren't frowning from sheer   
exertion and concentration.  
There was a tingle of presence over her shoulder   
just as someone grabbed a hold of her. With a   
slight shriek Akane ducked a little and tried vainly   
to twist out of the grasp. As she spun she lashed   
out with her fists and leg.  
  
Ranma caught one wrist, then the other. He put   
both of her hands in one of his. As she sent a knee   
up to his stomach he caught it and twisted his torso   
to throw her weight off. She began to fall, and   
Ranma with her.  
He continued his twist to put him beneath her   
and she landed on his chest with a grunt. Her long   
loose hair fell around him, mingling with his own.   
Ranma vaguely wondered how he forgot to braid it   
again.  
He smirked up at her shocked face. "You're far   
too predictable."  
"Huh?"  
He released her wrists but she just kept staring   
at him. "Where'd you come from?"  
He raised one eyebrow. "My bedroom."  
She blinked. "Well, yeah—" She glared at him.   
"Hey! That's not what I meant!"  
"I know. You were so absorbed that you didn't   
notice me. I was trying to correct your arm and   
grabbed your shoulder."  
"OH." Akane stood up suddenly, finally noticing   
that she was lying on top of him. "Sorry."  
He waved a hand in dismissal and sat up. He   
bent one leg and rested his arm on that, the other   
arm reaching behind him to support his weight as he   
looked up at her. She was blushing, again.  
"Now, how about I show you what you were doing   
wrong?"  
  
Akane nodded and tried to look calm. He looked   
completely different with his hair out of that   
braid. It came nearly to his waist in a raven slab.   
The ends were cut cleanly off in a straight line   
across his lower back. She almost hadn't recognized   
him when he'd opened the door.  
She distinctly remembered him in that clingy   
robe, and she'd suspected that there wasn't much on   
under it. She blushed even further and turned away   
to hide it.   
"From the top?"  
"Hm?"  
"Do you want me to start at the top?"  
"Sure."  
  
Ranma tied his hair into a loose ponytail when   
Kasumi showed up to call them to dinner. Akane   
waited with him, but Kasumi went on to find Nabiki.  
Akane watched Ranma pull out a leather chord and   
roughly grab his hair. She giggled as he missed a   
portion entirely and another bunch formed a lump on   
the back of his head.  
He turned and gave her a surprised look.   
"What?"  
She shook her head and smiled. "Let me."   
Without asking she grabbed his hair from his grasp.   
She pulled up the strands he'd missed. Then she   
combed the lump down with her fingers. She turned   
his head from side to side to look for others.   
Seeing a small one, she fixed it.  
"Let me see the chord." He held it up to her   
and she tied it snuggly, resisting the urge to make   
it into a bow.  
She took a step back. "There! Perfect."  
Ranma turned and she smiled up at him. He   
smiled back and bowed graciously. "My thanks."  
She giggled and accepted the arm he offered.   
The two of them laughingly went down to dinner.  
  
"I'm taking you to school."  
Akane frowned. "You don't have to! I can take   
care of myself."  
"I don't know what kind of assassins and hired   
guns Jaxom had under his employ. Until we get them   
all rounded up, I'm taking you two to school. It's   
too dangerous to walk all the way there."  
Ranma sighed. He'd rather be doing some   
paperwork that he had to catch up on sometime today.   
He would send Ryoga to protect them, but he'd   
disappeared somehow.   
Nabiki came down the steps in her uniform and   
waved. "Not me you're not. I have a ride." There   
was a honking horn out on the street and Nabiki left   
the front door wide open. Ranma had a clear view of   
some brute in camouflage opening the door to a jeep   
for her.  
He turned calmly back to Akane as they drove   
off. "Well, I'm taking you at least."  
"Fine!" She threw her arms up in the air. "But   
stay out of my fights!"  
Ranma rolled his eyes and grabbed his keys.  
  
Ranma and Akane got out of his car a week later.   
Akane continued to chatter about her friends and   
school as Ranma grunted noncommittally. He opened   
the door and started slightly, though it wasn't   
noticeable.  
"Hi Chad."   
Chad turned from the vase he was setting onto   
the hall table. "Hello Ranma. I thought this would   
look good here. Consider it an early birthday   
present."  
Ranma picked it up and studied it as Akane   
closed the door. Ranma scoffed. "Nice birthday   
present. Ming?"  
Akane stopped dead and leaned around Ranma to   
study the vase in his hands. She shook her head and   
turned to Chad, deciding to ignore the vase. "Mr.   
Chad, sir?"  
Chad blinked behind his shades and pulled them   
off. "Just call me Chad. Can I help you?"  
"I hope you're going to tell us that Jaxom's   
people are all gone and taken care of. I'd like to   
go home and get my life back to normal."  
Chad scoffed and jerked a thumb toward Ranma.   
"Not with him around. Trouble and outright   
weirdness seem to follow him everywhere."  
Akane blushed and looked away from Ranma, who   
seemed a little uncomfortable, himself. Why, she   
wondered? She really wanted to question Ranma, but   
didn't feel right about it. He'd risked his life to   
come after her, and she doubted he would feel   
rewarded by a million personal questions.  
"Be that as it may, is it safe for my family and   
I to go home?"  
Chad patted her on the shoulder and smiled   
knowingly. "That's what Ranma and I will be   
discussing. Why don't we give you an answer later?"  
Akane smiled sadly and nodded. "Alright then.   
Ranma? I'm gonna go upstairs."  
"Sure. Do you wanna use the dojo?"  
She brightened a little. "Can I?"  
He shrugged and picked up a stack of mail to   
leaf through. "Go for it."  
She bit her lip and tried to act more subdued.   
Did Ranma think she was weird for being so excited   
every time he offered to teach her something?   
"Uh, maybe later, after I do some homework."  
"Whatever."  
She waved and walked calmly up the stairs. She   
made the right turn at the top to go to her room,   
wishing she could go left to the dojo in his suite.  
  
Ranma watched her go, relieved. Chad gestured   
questioningly to the parlor. Ranma nodded and the   
two of them went in.  
Chad sat down and crossed one ankle over his   
knee. "What does she know?"  
Ranma shrugged and fingered a bill. He had the   
feeling Nabiki had made the most of his hospitality.   
"I don't know. I'm waiting for her to come to   
me to discuss it. I'm playing the concerned but not   
too close friend so she doesn't get any ideas about   
the whole fiancé thing."  
Chad nodded. "That works. Try to find out soon   
though; we need info. Besides, holding in the   
emotional trauma can't be healthy."  
"I know. So, what is the verdict with the   
housing situation?"  
Chad smirked and opened his briefcase on the   
seat beside him. "They'll be here a little longer   
I'm afraid. We're following a few leads still."  
"Fine."  
"It should be. I know what you're getting paid,   
and you can afford a few houseguests."  
Ranma smirked and sat across from his friend.   
"I know. Kasumi insists on cooking and cleaning for   
me in exchange for their stay. I told Soun that it   
was more convenient to have my student under my roof   
anyway, so that explains her. He says that he   
wouldn't let her stay here without a chaperone, so   
that gives him credence. Nabiki—well, she's   
Nabiki."  
"I can't stay long, I have a flight in three   
hours and I need to ask you some questions before I   
can run my errands."  
Ranma waved a hand. "Shoot."  
He smiled playfully at the boy. "First of all,   
how are you going to explain your association with   
the Tokyo Roses to your houseguests?"  
  
Ranma walked Chad to the door. "It was good to   
see you. I get tired of that cell phone."  
"So do I. It wasn't far out of my way, and I   
had to give you that vase. You should hire a   
decorator."  
"Why? I'm rarely home."  
"That could change."  
Ranma gave his employer a penetrating stare,   
turning to face the older man. "What's that   
supposed to mean?"  
Chad exhaled sharply and began to fidget. He   
sighed and held his hands up in a visible effort to   
fend off Ranma's tirade. "Now hold on! Before you   
get all excited, hear me out. We've got a great new   
batch of youngsters in shoes similar to your old   
ones. You turned out well, so we think this could   
work out well. Besides, we don't see the point in   
sending out the best when a little less will work."  
"What are you saying?"  
Chad sighed and turned to watch a tree outside   
the window sway. He calmly answered, "We want to   
send you on fewer missions and let you concentrate   
on training some new, young agents."  
Ranma blinked and sat down with far less grace   
than usual. "What? How young? How many students?"  
"Well, I've got three lined up so far, maybe   
more further down the way. Two are sixteen but the   
other is fifteen and a half."  
Ranma shoved a hand through his hair. His eyes   
widened for a moment as he took everything in.   
"Okay. Why?"  
"Why what? We don't want to risk losing our   
best agent to a stupid mistake on a routine mission.   
But, we don't want you collecting dust and getting   
out of habit."  
"So I sit in my little house and teach a few   
bratty orphans how to fight." Ranma crossed his   
arms over his chest and leaned back.  
Chad chuckled, "Now, Ranma. First of all, this   
is hardly a 'little house.' Second, they couldn't   
be any worse than the snobby, egotistical White   
Dragon was. Third, you'll teach them more than how   
to fight."  
Chad paused and waited for Ranma to look him in   
the eye. "That was Nishiguchi's mistake. He let   
Jaxom teach his men how to fight, but nothing else.   
You'll excel at this Ranma."  
Ranma sighed and looked askance at his friend.   
Finally, he smiled. "Well, I guess it could be   
fun."  
"That's the spirit! Who knows, you may even   
find that you really like your fiancée if you get to   
spend enough time with her!"  
Chad quickly ducked the flying cell phone.  
  
Akane stretched out her back. She'd spent a few   
solid hours working on some things that Ranma'd   
picked on her about during their last session. Now   
she was finishing her cool down. She stood up and   
jogged a few slow and relaxing laps around the dojo.  
She wiped her forehead off and opened the door   
to Ranma's room so she could head to the small   
bathtub in her own room. She gave a small shriek to   
see Ranma on the other side of the door.   
"Hi Ranma! You scared me."  
He gave one of his tiny smiles, "Sorry. You   
might want to be downstairs in about an hour. I've   
got some new . . . students coming."  
Akane nodded slowly, hiding her hurt. "You're   
taking on other students?"  
"Just a couple. Chad wants me too. Who knows   
with him?" He shrugged, "He just wants me to keep   
busy since they won't be needing me to work much for   
awhile."  
"Oh. I'd better go clean up then."  
"Right. Well, see ya later then."  
She nodded and headed for her room.  
  
Ranma leafed through the small black book. He   
paused at a certain passage, resting a finger   
lightly over the text with a soft smile. He jerked   
his head to the window as a horn beeped from the   
driveway.  
Ranma made his way to the front door. Akane   
poked her head around the corner at the top of the   
stairs while Nabiki tried to look casual as she   
examined a painting down the hall. Ranma ignored   
Nabiki and gave Akane a small smile as Kasumi and   
Soun came into view over Akane's shoulder.  
The Tendos converged at the bottom of the stairs   
as Ranma opened the door.  
"Give me that! Iz mine!"  
"Oh veally?"  
"Da!"  
The two teens standing next to the black limo   
growled at each other as they argued over a   
suitcase. Half a dozen identical bags littered the   
ground around them as the limo driver pulled them   
from the trunk.  
The girl with short red hair tied with a yellow   
scarf for a headband tossed her short locks with a   
scoff. "Eef you read tha tag, you vill clearly see—  
"  
"Marco Keller. Zee. I told you." The smirking   
boy had identical red hair but his was cut crisply   
across the middle of his back. Both wore dark green   
tanks and loose pants.  
The girl leaned over and ripped the paper tag   
with an airliner printed on the back. She shoved it   
in his face with a snarl. "Liar! Eet says Sansha   
Keller!"  
The two looked as if they were near blows when   
Ranma cleared his throat. The red heads looked up   
the marble staircase to see a black-clad Ranma   
against white marble pillars and a matching doorway.  
Ranma cocked his head and crossed his arms over   
his chest. "Are you quite finished?"  
They glared at each other before turning away   
from each other to nod curtly.   
Ranma uncrossed his arms. "Good. I know your   
father and uncle, but we've never met."  
Marco blinked and studied Ranma disbelievingly.   
"You are ze one called Ranma? But, you are barely   
older zan us!"  
Ranma shrugged, "So? We'll have a little spar   
after dinner so you can get settled in. For now,   
sort out your luggage and come on in."  
Ranma turned on his heel and strolled back into   
the house. He smiled softly at the Tendos.  
"Why don't you wait in the parlor? We'll join   
you soon."  
The four of them nodded and started in. Only   
Nabiki paused to question him.  
"Exactly what accent was that?"   
Ranma smirked. "A little bit of everything   
actually. Mostly Russian and German though."  
  
The two red heads followed Ranma into the cozy   
Victorian parlor. Kasumi and Soun were on a couch   
talking calmly. Nabiki had taken a seat close but   
not in the action. Akane had taken a seat on one of   
the two remaining couches. Ranma glanced around   
before sitting next to her.  
Sansha and Marco may have been fighting a few   
moments ago, but they seemed excited and perfectly   
cheerful with each other as they sat down on the   
remaining couch.  
"Sansha, Marco, these are the Tendos. Soun   
trained with my father."  
Tendo nodded his approval and said, "These are   
my daughters, Kasumi."  
She smiled shyly and waved.  
Nabiki gave a brief nod, "Nabiki."  
"Akane." She smiled and seemed downright   
cheerful.  
"Everyone, this is Marco and Sansha Keller. I   
work with their father and an uncle. I will be   
training them so that they can be good employees for   
Chad."  
There were mixed reactions to that. The   
newcomers seemed excited and proud. Nabiki seemed   
to be hiding bitter resentment that Ranma continued   
to skirt her questions about his job. Soun was   
teary eyed that his daughter's husband was so noble   
to be taking on these students. Kasumi was—well,   
Kasumi.   
Akane appeared to be sad. Of course, she was.   
She was far beneath Ranma in so many things, but   
being his student was a special honor for her. Now   
that there were two more students who were probably   
better than her, she lost even that distinction.  
Kasumi smiled at the two of them. "It is a   
pleasure to meet you, but I need to check on   
dinner."  
Sansha grinned at her, "Eet iz no problem."  
Marco simply bowed his head.  
Soun simply excused himself and ran from the   
room crying about his fabulous son-in-law. Sansha   
and Marco shared a disturbed and worried glance   
before letting it slide.  
Sansha smiled at Ranma. "You are really our new   
sen say?"  
"Yes, I'm your new sensei. I don't know how   
well it will work, because I have no idea where your   
talents lie, but we'll see. How is your father?"  
Marco leaned forward slightly. "Ee sends his   
regards and hopes to visit us to see ow well u   
teach. Ee zed something about Korea but I do not   
remember it well."  
Ranma gave a soft chuckle. "I can imagine.   
Well, I'm glad he's well and he can certainly visit   
anytime he wants. You're welcome to call him and   
anyone else you like as well. You have the run of   
the house like everyone else, but respect everyone   
else's rooms."  
Sansha smiled warmly at them all. "Of course!   
We look forward to our stay!"  
  
Akane was the only one left of the Tendos when   
Ranma left to call Chad. Akane smiled nervously at   
the Kellers. "So, are you two twins?"  
Their identical sets of bright green eyes   
flashed with mischief. Sansha giggled. "Ow did you   
guess?"  
Akane smiled and laughed with them. "Will you   
be going to school here then?"  
Marco frowned. "I ges so. Father demanded   
such. Perhaps we could go to ze one you attend?"   
He smiled warmly down at her. Even though they were   
sitting, he was pretty tall and still towered over   
Akane and his sister.  
"That would be great! I gotta warn you though,   
it's a pretty weird school."  
Sansha giggled, "All ze better! It would not be   
fun eef it were not."  
"Kasumi told me where you two were going to be   
staying. You want me to show you your rooms?   
They're right next to mine, actually."  
Marco smiled and stood, helping both girls up.   
"Zat would be a great, uh, pleasure."  
Akane led them upstairs, all the while chatting   
about the school, even as they sorted their luggage.   
As they crested the stairs, Nabiki poked her head   
out of her room. She was across the hall from   
Akane, and one of the Keller twins would be next to   
her since she and Akane were almost to the end of   
the hall. The Kellers got the last two guest rooms   
in this hall. There was one more across the hall   
from Ranma's suite, but that was it.  
Marco headed like a shot to the room next to   
Akane's when she pointed the two rooms out. He   
smiled sweetly down at Nabiki as he passed.  
Sansha shrugged and waved at Nabiki as she   
passed. "Zen I will take zis one. I shall see you   
soon?" She was looking at Akane.  
Akane shrugged. "I can help you settle in if   
you want."  
Sansha nodded quickly and grabbed Akane's arm.   
This was no small task since she had four suitcases   
in her own arms. "Da, yes! I ave much to ask of   
you!"  
Nabiki caught Akane's eye and the younger Tendo   
smiled at Sansha. "I'll be there in a second. I   
gotta talk to Nabiki real quick."  
Sansha cheerily continued into her room and   
Akane walked up to her sister. "Yeah Nabiki?"  
"Don't you find this a bit odd?"  
"What, the Keller's? I think they're nice."  
"Oh my dear little sister. I mean, don't you   
find their combinations of languages and accents,   
their questionable nationality, their father's   
relationship to Ranma, the fact that they're being   
trained for a job that's at least similar to   
Ranma's, and he still won't tell us what he does,   
weird?"  
Akane blinked and stared at her sister. "Uh,   
sure. I think you're overacting a bit. They're   
nice, so who cares?"  
Akane turned and ran up to Sansha giggling.  
  
The next morning, Ranma stood in the driveway   
looking at his car. With a sigh, he turned to the   
porch. Sansha, Akane, Nabiki, and Marco stood there   
in school uniforms.  
"I don't think we're all gonna fit. We better   
hoof it to school."  
Akane blinked. "School starts in ten minutes,   
and we're on the other side of town. We'll never   
make it!"  
Ranma smiled. "Just run as far as you can and   
try to keep up, okay? Then we'll figure something   
out."  
Ranma glanced briefly at the twins, waiting for   
their nods of agreement. With that, he took off.   
The twins were right on his heels, the three of them   
at a loping run. Akane gave a shriek and followed,   
yelling over her shoulder to her sister.  
"C'mon Nabiki!"  
She held a hand to her mouth and yelled back,   
"I'll call a taxi, think you."  
Nabiki turned and stomped into the house,   
grumbling the whole way. She opened the door and   
took a cordless phone from a smiling Kasumi.  
"Thanks, sis."  
  
Akane was sprawled in her seat during homeroom.   
She gasped for breath and numbly raised her hand   
when her name was called during roll.   
Ranma had held Akane back as she'd prepared to   
fight the group of admirers. He'd quickly   
proclaimed that she was the official student of Ryo   
Tome (himself) and that she was not to be bothered   
with petty challenges that might hinder her   
training. All challenges were to be directed toward   
him, and he would come to the school once a week to   
meet them.  
Akane had been too dead to protest. They'd ran   
all the way here. The only reason she'd made it   
herself was because she didn't want to be the only   
one to drop out. The Keller's had been pretty   
winded, but Ranma hadn't looked bothered at all. He   
hadn't even been sweating.  
The teacher looked up and gestured toward the   
door. Akane smiled at the Keller's as they entered   
the room. Sansha gave a little wave.  
"Boys and girls, we have two new students.   
These are Sansha and Marco Keller. They've just   
moved here from . . . Uh, where did you move here   
from, it doesn't say?"  
Marco smiled, "Originally or most recently? Our   
family moves around most often."  
The teacher blinked, "Uh, most recently, I   
suppose?"  
Marco gave a polite smile and bowed his head to   
the teacher before turning to address the class.   
"Ve ave spent the majority of the last six months in   
Versailles, except for a brief stay in the United   
States for a tournament. Ve are now staying with   
our new sensay, the one known to you as Ryo Tome."  
The teacher bravely attempted a cheerful smile,   
but it seemed more sick than happy at the last   
comment. "Fabulous. More martial artists. You may   
have the seats in front of Akane there, since you   
know her already, and the one next to that."  
Marco and Sansha thanked him and started for the   
seats. Marco calmly but decisively took the one   
directly in front of Akane. Sansha shrugged and sat   
beside him, on his right.  
  
The three of them were walking through the gates   
as Nabiki was opening the door to a cab. Akane   
called out to her sister and waved. Nabiki waved   
them over with a small smile.  
"I'm going shopping. Kasumi asked me to pick a   
few things up for dinner for the next month." She   
held up a rolled up piece of paper and let it unroll   
dramatically to show that it fell nearly to her   
knees. "Would one of you please come with me to   
help out?"  
Sansha elbowed her brother in the ribs. "Marco,   
you are a gentleman, no? Go help ze lady with the   
groceries. Akane and I will go home and zee if Miz   
Kasumi needs help with dinner."  
Nabiki blanched, but quickly recovered. She   
remembered that Kasumi had planned to go back to   
their home to get some of the things everyone   
needed, and Ranma had gone with her. Akane couldn't   
do any damage to the kitchen or their stomachs.  
"Why don't you. Thank you so very much Marco."  
He looked less than thrilled as he said in a   
monotone, "Yes, iz no problem, Miz Nabiki."  
Akane and Sansha waved as the taxi drove down   
the street. Sansha gave a content sigh and hugged   
her bag to her chest. "Iz a nice city, thiz   
Nerima."  
Akane shrugged but gave a small smile. "Yeah, I   
guess so. We have our crazies, but then, so does   
every other city."  
Sansha grinned, "Let us train ven we get home!   
I have a move I bet you would like."  
"Really? Sounds fun, but why don't we get some   
ice cream? I'm hungry after that test."  
"Ze English exam?"  
She nodded with a frown, tightening her grip on   
her satchel's handle. "Yeah, I am so bad at   
English!"  
Sansha giggled, "I have cousins in America! I   
can tutor you, eef you would like. In exchange,   
could you perhaps help me with my Japanese?"  
Akane smiled, "Sure!"  
  
Ranma grabbed a couple bags from the front   
hallway and took them out to his car, his red pigtail   
dropping briefly into view. He frowned at the reminder   
of his curse. At least he didn't have to worry about   
salvaging his honor working for a crimelord kind of took  
care of that problem.  
His little trunk was full already, so they'd   
have to go in the back seat. With a click of the   
remote, the doors were locked again as he strolled   
back to the house with empty hands once more.   
How many bags did the Tendo family need? He'd   
brought our five already, plus a big cardboard box.   
Kasumi was waiting at the front door with him,   
another box in her arms.  
"Ranma, it's getting late. We need to hurry if   
I'm going to have dinner ready on time." She smiled   
sweetly as he took the box from her arms and picked   
up the last suitcase.  
"Sure. I'll have us there in no time. Why   
don't we just get takeout though? It would be   
easier."  
She looked briefly horrified before she laughed   
softly. "Oh how funny! As if I would ever subject   
my family to takeout!"  
Ranma stared at her for a moment before   
blinking. "Right. Hop in, Kasumi."  
She nodded and sat in the passenger seat as he   
tucked the final Tendo possessions into his back   
seat from his side of the car. Soon he was hitting   
the gas and zooming through alleys and side streets   
that Kasumi had never seen before.  
There weren't many people out and about, so he   
made it to his place in record time. Just as he   
pulled into the driveway, thunder rumbled in the   
distance. He glanced at the thick black clouds and   
frowned. At least he was already female.  
"Kasumi? Could you go get Marco, Sansha and   
Akane? We'll bring the luggage in while you start   
dinner."  
She smiled and grabbed a box from the top of the   
pile in the trunk. "Okay. But I'll need this one.   
It has my cookbooks."  
She hefted the box and strolled inside, calling   
for Ranma's students as she walked inside. In a few   
moments, Marco came out the front door. When he saw   
Ranma pulling the bags and boxes out of the   
backseat, he wordlessly took things from the growing   
pile inside.   
Marco was on his second trip when Akane and   
Sansha ran outside, each wearing a gi. They smiled   
and sent Ranma sheepish looks as the grabbed   
suitcases and ran quickly inside. When the last of   
the luggage was out of the car, Ranma closed the   
doors and trunk before gathering his own load.   
Akane ran back out and grabbed what was left, and   
the two of them went inside.  
The twins had been pretty stunned the first time   
they'd seen his curse, but they'd adapted well.  
As they made it onto the porch, the first drops   
of rain began to fall. Ranma smiled softly at the   
trio of teens.  
"Kasumi just went to start dinner." With a   
glance at the sweaty girls, he added, "You better   
get baths if you want them."  
Akane blushed a little but nodded and ran   
upstairs. Sansha lifted an arm and sniffed. Her   
face took a greenish tint momentarily, and she   
nodded in agreement to his idea. Marco sighed and   
shook his head before heading into the living room   
to watch TV.  
Ranma headed upstairs to his own room. He sat   
down cross legged on his bed and pulled the black   
book from his nightstand. He turned to the page   
with Koh Lohn's name. Of course, there was no phone   
number, but there was a mailing address that the   
tribe occasionally had use for.  
He frowned and turned to the first page. He   
began to scan each page, name by name, looking for   
other familiar names. Eventually he found one, Saya   
Naomi. Ranma dropped the book onto the bed. It   
fell open where he'd had it, Saya's name staring up   
at him in broad black strokes. Cologne, and now   
Saya, who had Boss really been?  
He picked up the book and continued his reading.   
When Kasumi came to call him for dinner, he told her   
he'd be skipping tonight.  
  
Akane was filling Sansha in on Furinkan gossip   
as they set the table. Marco was carrying in a huge   
covered platter; the lid on crooked, spouting steam.   
Akane smiled as Kasumi entered, a small frown on the   
older girl's face.  
"What's wrong, Kasumi?"  
She looked up, a little startled, "Oh, Akane.   
I'm sorry. I went to get Ranma for dinner, but he   
said he wouldn't be coming down. He didn't sound   
very good. I think he might be coming down with   
something. You'd better take up a tray of soup   
after dinner."  
"Oh. Alright, Kasumi."  
  
Though she was a little worried for her so-  
called fiancé, Akane put on a smile as she stepped   
up to Ranma's door. She thought about simply   
calling out, but went ahead and juggled the tray to   
get a free hand. After checking that the soup and   
water glass were not disturbed, she knocked.  
Silence. She knocked again, louder. "Maybe he   
is sick. I'd better check on him." She was   
muttering to herself.  
Quietly she opened the door and peeked in. His   
bed was empty, and she frowned slightly. She pushed   
the door open, settling the tray as it almost   
spilled.   
Against the wall closest to the dojo entrance   
was a large wooden desk; the old-fashioned kind with   
the lid that rolled shut. He sat in the desk chair,   
his long hair hanging loose and wet from a recent   
bath.  
He was scribbling franticly on a legal pad, left   
hand holding a black book open. He seemed   
engrossed, and must have been to not hear her   
knocking. She walked carefully up to him, staying   
just out of reach (she remembered his reflexes too   
well to scare him with a sudden appearance) as she   
cleared her throat.  
She forgot to take into account that his chair   
had wheels. He jerked up and pushed the chair   
towards her. Somehow she ended up lying on the   
ground with Ranma restraining her. His face was   
cold and calculating, completely void of expression.   
His face clouded and his eyes sparkled with   
guilt as he blinked down at her. "Oops, sorry   
Akane. I didn't know it was you."  
A droplet of water fell from his bangs and   
splattered onto her forehead. "No problem." She   
realized how shaky her voice was. He evidently did   
too, because he quickly stood and helped her up. He   
pushed her into the desk chair and studied her eyes.  
"Are you okay?"  
She blinked dazedly and nodded. "Yeah. You   
just surprised me."  
He chuckled and gave her one of his too rare   
half smiles. "I surprised you? Do you usually   
waltz into a guy's room without knocking?"  
She blushed and studied her hands in her lap, "I   
did knock! Twice! You were too busy working, I   
guess, and didn't hear me."  
He nodded slowly and crouched down on his heels,   
frowning. "I've made a small discovery. It, uh,   
has to do with work. I was just doing some research   
and thought it was too important to break for   
dinner."  
"Oh. Kasumi thought you might be sick. She   
sent me up with a tray."  
He stared wryly at the soupy spot on his carpet.   
"I noticed. It's all right; I do this all the time.   
I'll go down and eat something later, after I call   
Chad."  
"Oh. I'll clean that up then, so you can get   
back to work."  
She started to rise, but he put a hand to her   
chest. Though he wasn't evidently putting much   
force behind it, he easily held her there.  
"No, I caused the mess. I can clean it up.   
Besides, I'm basically finished anyway." He smiled   
and removed his hand, "Besides, weren't you and   
Sansha interrupted earlier in your workout?"  
She smiled slightly. "Yeah, but we thought you   
were sick so,"  
"Since I'm not, the dojo's all yours. I might   
join you two later."  
She nodded and he pushed her out the door. She   
looked at the closed door for a moment before   
shrugging. Then she wandered off in search of   
Sansha.  
  
Ten minutes later, Ranma was in the small study   
down the hall from his room. He picked up the phone   
and quickly checked it for bugs. He stopped halfway   
and stared at it before slowly smiling. He was   
checking the phone for bugs even thought this is his   
own home.  
He shook his head and dialed Chad's number.  
*Yeah?*  
"Chad. It's Ranma.*  
*Hey, how are the students coming along, oh   
great teacher?*  
"Funny. Fine, I suppose. That's not why I'm   
calling. Chad, do you remember Boss?"  
There was a pause. *Yeah. Look, Ranma, I don't   
want you dragging up your past. Let it go, man.   
Jaxom's dead and you have no reason to put up with   
any of it.*  
Ranma sighed, "Chad, I thought of something and—  
"  
*I don't want to hear it! I like you kid, and I   
don't want you suffering. Let it go, and that's an   
order.*  
"Uh, right."  
*Have fun with the Keller's, nice family, them."  
"Yeah. See ya."  
*Bye.*  
Ranma hung up the phone and started to turn. Then   
he paused and looked at it again. Quickly he picked   
it up and dialed another number. 


	4. Business Ventures revised

The next day started well. Akane managed to   
surprise Ranma in a sparring session, thanks to the   
move Sansha taught her the day before. Ranma taught   
his three students every evening after school,   
except weekends where they spent most of the day in   
the dojo.  
It was your typical Saturday afternoon at   
Ranma's humongous house. Kasumi was preparing   
dinner in the kitchen, Nabiki was holed up in the   
study with Ranma's computer, Soun was reading the   
paper, Marco and Sansha were showering after the   
workout they'd all had with Ranma, and Akane was   
heading out on her jog.  
She liked to jog around the house a couple times   
for a quick cool down. She reached for the front   
door's knob just as somebody knocked on the other   
side. She wiped her sweaty hand on the shorts and   
tank top she was wearing, and opened the door. The   
only visitors they ever had were for Nabiki, or Chad   
for Ranma every few weeks.  
A pretty, older woman stood there in a long,   
tight black skirt and a yellow silk blouse; a   
designer suitcase sat by her foot. Her hair wasn't   
quite chin length and a really pale purple. The   
stranger blinked at Akane.  
"Hello! I didn't know Ranma had anyone living   
here with him."  
"Uh, yeah, well my father was an old friend of—"  
"Saya!"  
Akane whipped around as Ranma came barreling   
past her. He picked the woman up by the waist and   
spun her around, smiling up at her with a real   
smile, not his usual half-smile. She laid her   
delicate hands gently on his shoulders as he lowered   
her slowly.  
He gave Saya a hug and Akane blinked. This was   
Ranma?  
"It's so good to see you Ranma! You haven't   
called since after that tournament."  
"I know, I went immediately on that training   
journey and just recently got back. Then—uh, I got   
some bad news. Why don't you come in."  
He turned back toward the house and started at   
the sight of Akane. "Oh, uh, yeah Akane?"  
She held her anger in, how dare he just forget   
her for this older woman? "Nothing, just going for   
a jog."  
She flicked her hair over her shoulder and   
strolled past them.  
  
Ranma took Saya straight to the parlor and sat   
her down on the couch he sat next to her and took   
her hand.  
"Saya, Jaxom came back. He broke out of prison   
and started trailing me. He found out I was staying   
with some old friends of the family and kidnapped   
Akane. I went after them, of course, and, well, you   
won't have to worry about him again."  
Her eyes shone with fearful tears that she   
wouldn't let fall. "They caught him then? Oh,   
good."   
He didn't like the shaking of her voice, and   
reached out to give her hand a squeaze.  
After a moment, he pulled his hand from hers and   
studied it.   
"No, I killed him."  
He feared her rejection, but she leaned over and   
hugged him. He looked up at her and smiled. "We're   
free, Saya."  
She nodded, saying nothing.  
  
Akane pounded the sidewalk, occasionally   
throwing punches. Though she usually just ran   
around the house, she'd decided to take a long run   
like she used to do every morning. It'd give her   
time to think, and think she did.  
He ran up and hugged that woman, who's obviously   
too old for him. And he genuinely smiled at her,   
spinning her around like some besotted fool,   
forgetting all about me! I'm his fiancée, even if   
it is a stupid arrangement.  
She was lost in her angry, jealous thoughts, and   
lost track of time.   
  
Ranma looked up at the clock. Saya'd been here   
for nearly an hour. Dinner would be ready soon.   
There was a knock, and Kasumi came in.  
"Ranma, did you send Akane out on an errand?"  
He frowned, "No, why?"  
She began to look as worried as Ranma'd ever   
seen Kasumi get. "Well, she usually runs for a few   
moments after you four workout, but she's not back   
yet."  
Ranma looked out the window, "Have you called   
for her?"  
"Yes, nothing."  
"Saya, Kasumi, I'll be back soon. I'll drive   
around and look for her."  
  
Akane finally glanced up and noticed that   
nothing looked familiar. A clock hanging in a bar   
window showed that she was late for dinner, but she   
had no idea where she was. She was starting to   
panic when a horn beeped beside her. She jumped and   
spun to see who had honked.  
A shiny sportscar with a dark-haired martial   
artist pulled up to the curb next to her. He rolled   
the window down and smiled at her. "Are you   
planning on coming home soon? Kasumi's worried."  
She stared into the eyes that had seen who knows   
what and taken it in stride. She took in the   
strangeness that had happened in her own life since   
Ranma had come to town and suddenly felt so   
inadequate that tears just poured down her face.   
She put her hands up to cover her face and turned   
from him.  
She heard him, barely, through her tears as he   
got out of the car and locked the doors. He came up   
behind her and put his arms loosely around her. She   
stepped slightly away and turned to face him.  
He was wearing the usual Chinese shirt, but with   
jeans this time. His hair was braided down his back   
and he was smiling. She shook her head and sighed.  
"How can you stand it? I probably don't want to   
know half the things you've done in your life. In   
the past few weeks, I've been kidnapped, nearly   
starved for days, tortured mentally, carted around   
China, put under your effective but strange   
training, met crazy but nice people, and the list   
will only keep growing."  
He blinked in startlement, "Is that all that's   
bothering you? That I can handle crazy situations a   
little better than you?"   
She gave a tiny growl and flung her hands into   
the air. "No! We're engaged, for heaven's sake! I   
understand you not wanting to go through with this,   
so why drag it out? You treat me like a little kid   
you have to baby-sit, not the key to whether you die   
with or without your honor."  
She turned and started walking in the direction   
she'd been going when he'd driven up. "How is that   
supposed to make me feel? I don't want to marry   
you, I'm not worthy of the great Ryo Tome, but I   
don't like being treated as so insignificant."  
"Akane, that's not true. I really enjoy your   
company. I don't know what I would do if I didn't   
have such a dangerous job; but I can't afford to   
marry anyone. I hadn't even thought about whether I   
wanted to marry you or not. I just knew I   
couldn't."  
She glared at him as he walked along beside her.   
"So you tolerate the presence of my family and me in   
your home because your boss ordered you to. Then   
you train me just to make me feel better."  
He sighed, "No. You're a great student. You   
really want to learn, and I have never had a   
student. I could die at any time, and the Soatome   
School would die out with me."  
She opened her mouth again to yell an insult at   
him when she felt something whiz past her head. She   
blinked, thinking she'd imagined it, but a lock of   
hair fell down around her face. Something had gone   
past her head and chopped off a piece of her hair.  
By the time she'd realized this, Ranma had   
grabbed her and was dragging her into a more crowded   
portion of the street. She kept up only because he   
couldn't go full speed in the crowded sidewalks.   
Then, without warning, he tugged on her arm to send   
her flying into his arms. He picked her completely   
off her feet and jumped a six-foot wall.  
They landed on the other side in someone's   
garden. Still being carried, Akane looked over   
Ranma's shoulder. A man in a gray suit was climbing   
the wall. She watched him reach into a coat pocket   
as he hung from the top of the wall.  
The sun glinted orange off the dark gray metal   
and she gasped. "Ranma, he's got a gun!  
In the next instant, the man disappeared as they   
jumped the opposite wall of the garden. She heard a   
loud cursing from their attacker as they left his   
line of sight. She relaxed, but Ranma didn't. He   
kept his harrowing pace and turned down another   
street.  
"I've got a friend that lives around here.   
We'll go there."  
She didn't say anything as he carried her   
through a more residential area. She watched over   
his shoulder. They were in a less crowded area now,   
and would be easy pickings if their attacker caught   
up to them. Ranma suddenly turned sharply and Akane   
saw that they were at an apartment complex. It   
looked like a fairly nice one, too.  
Ranma put her down once they were inside,   
pulling Akane to the elevator by her wrist. Inside,   
he punched the 'door close' button, then one marked   
'P'. Akane stared at the lit button, thinking to   
herself, penthouse? Well, from the looks of his   
mansion, it makes since he'd have rich friends.  
The door opened and they stepped from the   
elevator to a small room with a marbled floor and   
bare white walls. There was a white, paneled door   
directly in front of them, and Ranma rang the bell.  
"Just a moment!" The feminine voice was muffled   
through the door. There was a long series of clicks   
and bangs as several door bolts slid free and   
deadbolts were loosened.   
A young woman with blonde hair wearing a terry   
bath robe opened the door with a small change purse   
in her hand. She blinked in surprise. "Ranma?   
What are you doing here?"  
Ranma pushed past her, still holding Akane's   
wrist. "No time, Lilly, shut the door." He ran to   
the window, finally releasing the bewildered Akane.   
He peeked past the curtain and through the blinds.   
Akane watched him until she heard the soft click of   
the door closing.  
Akane turned and studied this friend of Ranma's.   
Lilly had dark blonde hair that fell just to her   
shoulders. Her eyes were green, and sparkling with   
amused confusion as she crossed her arms over her   
chest and smiled at Ranma.  
"Let me guess, you're on assignment. This   
girl's some dignitaries daughter that you had to   
rescue or something, right?"  
Ranma kept his eyes on the window, glancing up   
and down the street, as he answered in a distracted   
tone, "No, she's my fiancée."  
Lilly blinked then turned expressionless eyes on   
the dark haired girl in running shorts and a tank   
top. "Really. Interesting. Well, I'm Lilly   
Graham. I'm an old friend and business partner of   
Ranma's."   
Akane blinked, still a little stunned. "Uh, I'm   
Akane Tendo."  
At 'Tendo', Lilly jerked her head to Ranma.   
After a moment, she burst into laughter. "The   
dreaded Tendo? Ranma, I do worry about you   
sometimes."  
Ranma finally stepped away from the window. "I   
know. I'll explain later. I think he gave up   
Akane."  
There was a loud knock on the door, and Akane   
shrieked. Ranma stepped in front of Akane and fell   
into a defensive stance. She copied it, if a little   
shakily, and nearly fainted when Lilly calmly opened   
the door. Expecting the man in the gray suit, Akane   
was understandably shocked to see a delivery boy.   
He raised an eyebrow at the two martial artists, but   
calmly exchanged his packages for some money with   
Lilly.  
Lilly closed the door and set the change purse   
on the table next to the door. She held up the   
delivery, (Chinese from the looks of it) and tipped   
her head towards a kitchen to Akane's right. "Why   
don't you explain what's going on over a little take   
out?"  
  
Lilly slurped up some noodles and stared at   
Ranma. She'd changed into a tight black tank top   
with black jeans that had a white and red dragon   
climbing up the right leg in embroidery. Ranma   
calmly sipped a cup of tee and finished explaining   
who Akane was and why she and her family were in   
danger.  
"I was getting too comfortable. I should have   
known there would still be people out to get us   
still."  
Lilly waved his statement off, "Of course not!   
How were you to know? Anyway, I'm sure you know who   
it is now, so you can hunt them down and take care   
of everything."  
He shook his head, his face tense with the anger   
he felt toward himself. "I didn't get a chance to   
see him. I was too busy running."  
Akane looked up meekly, "Um, I saw him.   
Remember? When he came over the wall, I told you   
about the gun."  
Ranma sat up a little, "That's right. But did   
you get a good enough look at him to identify him?"  
Akane bit her lip and closed her eyes in   
concentration. After a moment, she nodded slowly.   
"I think so. He was bald with a black mustache. He   
wasn't very tall, maybe an inch or two over five   
feet. But he was older, maybe late twenties, and   
had some kind of tattoo on his left hand. I don't   
know about his right though."  
Ranma blinked. "That's not bad for someone who   
isn't trained, Akane."   
She grinned up at him, but he turned back to   
Lilly. "Watch Akane for me, will ya? I want to go   
looking for this guy."  
Seeming to remember something, he grabbed a   
glass of water from the table, glancing at Akane he   
said, "Could you explain this to Lilly for me?" At   
her nod, he dumped the water over his head and left   
the apartment.  
The blonde turned a dazed expression to Akane,   
who sighed. "While rescuing me from Jaxom in China,   
Ranma kinda picked up this curse. Now, everytime   
he's hit with cold water, he turns into a girl. Hot   
water changes him back.  
Lilly nodded, but didn't look happy with the   
idea. After several long and silent minutes, Lilly   
glanced back up.   
Lilly looked up and cocked her head, "Want to play a   
game of cards?" She stuck a bite of noodles into   
her mouth, the long ends trailing sauce down her   
chin as they fell even with her shoulders. She   
slurped the long noodles into her mouth and gave   
Akane a questioning look.  
Akane shrugged. "I suppose. Aren't you worried   
about Ranma?"  
Lilly scoffed as she opened a drawer. Akane   
peeked and saw that the entire thing was filled with   
decks of cards. She selected one blindly as she   
looked at Akane. "Are you kidding? That boy   
wouldn't get hurt if Tokyo Tower fell right on his   
head. Wait, his head is so hard of course it   
wouldn't hurt him. Okay, if it fell on him in   
general, it wouldn't hurt him."  
Lilly sat down and began elaborate motions that   
Akane assumed were meant to shuffle the cards.   
"Five card pick up? Maybe seven card no peek?"  
Akane blinked, "Uh, excuse me?"  
Lilly looked stunned and dropped a few cards.   
"Don't you play poker?"  
At Akane's negative, Lilly began a long and   
intensive tutoring session that completely took her   
mind off of the missing martial artist.  
  
It was nearly midnight when there was a knock on   
the door, followed by Ranma calling out, "Lilly,   
it's me."   
He was still a she.  
Lilly turned over her seventh card. It was a   
three of spades. "No! It isn't fair! I felt for   
sure that would be a king!" There weren't two   
identical cards in the seven in front of her. Akane   
looked down. She had only turned over one card, a   
king of hearts. She turned over the next one; a   
jack of hearts. Lilly leaned forward slightly as   
Akane turned the next one; an ace of hearts. Lilly   
groaned as the ten and queen came into view,   
followed by the ace of spades.  
Lilly sat back in a huff and crossed her arms   
over her chest. Akane gleefully pulled the stack of   
yen toward her and began counting. "It's a pity   
this is all yours to begin with. If I'd had money   
on me, I would be able to keep all of this."  
Lilly glared at the younger girl for a moment,   
then broke into a wide grin. "You're a sharp   
cookie, Akane. You picked that up really quick."  
Akane shrugged, "My sister's really good with   
numbers and stuff, I guess it rubbed off on me."  
Ranma poked his head into the kitchen doorway   
with a confused expression. He blinked down at the   
cards and money strewn across the table. He sighed   
and walked into the room, glancing reproachfully at   
Lilly.  
"Now Lilly, teaching her poker while I was out   
risking my neck?"  
She shrugged and flipped her hair out of her   
face, "It kept her mind off of it, didn't it?"  
Akane jumped up and scanned Ranma from head to   
toe. "You don't look hurt."  
He waved her worries away and smiled. Akane   
stared at him; a real smile, not one of his half   
hearted attempts at one. "I'm fine. He was easy to   
subdue, then I just questioned him. When he found   
out I'd killed the guy that had hired him (I don't   
know how he hadn't heard, but he is foreign so I   
suppose he couldn't read the newspaper) he   
apologized, handed me his weapons, and walked away."  
Akane blinked in confusion and shot a glance to   
Lilly to make sure she wasn't the only one. Lilly   
nodded in understanding and played with the end of   
her ponytail. She negligently shuffled the deck and   
sighed after a moment as Ranma sat between the two   
girls.  
"You know Ranma, it's almost a shame how easy   
it's gotten over the years. I remember when a   
hitman took a job and felt honor-bound to see it   
through no matter what. It's like they've lost all   
sense of honor."  
Ranma shook his head and smiled slightly, his   
expression sort of pained. "I disagree. I think   
they've just gotten a new type of honor."  
Lilly shrugged. "Did he know anything about any   
other hired guns after you?"  
"Nah. He says that he believes he is the only   
one because he's the best there is in the business   
now that his old buddy bit the bullet a few weeks   
before he was hired. I let him go because he says   
this is his last job anyway before he retires to the   
Caribbean. He was paid in advance so he's taking   
his girl to a private little place he bought a few   
months ago."  
Akane frowned down at the folded bills in her   
hand. "If you've got such a good reputation, why   
would Jaxom agree to pay someone in advance for your   
death?"  
Ranma smiled in a knowing way and leaned back in   
the chair. "It's an old trick of his father's. If   
you act willing to pay them in advance, it makes the   
hardest target look like child's play."  
Lilly chuckled and looked down at the cards.   
She started as if she'd forgotten they were there,   
even though she'd stacked an elaborate house of   
cards without thinking about them. She looked up at   
Ranma with a grin.   
"Hey Ranma, how about a hand of cards? Maybe I   
can actually beat you!"  
Ranma blinked at her in surprise before his   
expression immediately changed to his usual mask of   
calm indifference. "What do you mean? You always   
win; no matter who you're playing you win."  
Lilly huffed and crossed her arms over her   
chest. "Tell that to little Miss. Beginner's Luck   
over there. I thought I'd be nice and teach her a   
little poker, maybe have a small friendly wager."   
Tears formed in her eyes as she turned to Ranma. "I   
only won the first hand! She's won the last dozen."   
Her voice held more than a hint of a pout before   
Ranma gave her shoulder a pat. He shot a glance to   
the small wad of bills in her hand. "Don't worry,   
it's only beginner's luck, like you said. You'll   
get her next time."  
Lilly perked up a little. "Yeah, that's right.   
Stop by any time, Akane! I'm almost always here."  
Akane nodded with a smile as she threw down the   
money, and Ranma took the hint. He gave his old   
friend a wave and ushered Akane out the door. He'd   
brought the car back with him and they climbed in.   
He shot her a bland look.  
"Beginner's luck, Akane?"  
She smiled and gave a slight shake of her head.   
"Do you think anyone with Nabiki for a sister could   
survive without knowing at least a little poker, let   
alone mastering it?"  
For the first time ever in Akane's presence,   
Ranma gave a jovial bark of laughter before biting   
his lip to contain it as he steered back into the   
appropriate lane. That simple action helped ease   
Akane's mood tremendously.  
  
Of course, that mood was ruined minutes later as   
they pulled up to the house when a certain lavender-  
haired woman opened the front door. She ran past   
Akane without a glance and started glancing up and   
down Ranma's body for signs of injury or harm.  
"Oh good, you're alright. The way you acted, I   
thought there was something wrong."  
He smiled that little half-hearted smirk of his   
and Akane was partially heartened that this woman   
was not immune to his lack of emotion.   
He cocked his head, "Oh no, nothing's wrong. I   
just had to go pick up Akane and we stopped by an   
old friend of mine's place for a brief visit."  
Akane frowned angrily. They'd been shot at and   
chased through the streets and he calmly informed   
this strange woman that nothing was wrong. With a   
huff she turned and went into the house. She   
stormed up to her room and changed into her gi.   
After tightly pulling her hair back, she tapped on   
Sansha's door.  
  
Ranma looked up from his old friend Saya as   
Akane stormed off. He frowned for a moment, but   
finally shrugged. "So Saya, where are you off to?"  
"Well, I told you about the old student I have   
to visit. After that, I'll be back here to live off   
your hospitality for awhile." She smiled and gave   
him a playful punch in the shoulder. "I appreciate   
this Ranma. I really do."  
He gave her a hug and smiled down at her. "It   
isn't your fault private tutors aren't in high   
demand right now."  
She smiled sadly and shrugged. "Well, I'm sure   
your young guests will benefit from a little special   
attention."  
  
"Hold on." Sansha's hair was wrapped in a towel   
monogrammed with her initials. She smiles when she   
notices her friend. She's wearing a t-shirt with   
baggy sweatpants. "Hello Akane! I am glad to see   
that you are alright."  
Akane smiled softly in embarrassment. "I just   
got a little lost on my jog. You know how it is, I   
just wasn't paying much attention.  
Sansha smiled and nodded, "Yes, I know how eet   
iz well. Would you please come in?"  
Akane walked in and sat on the bed as her friend   
closed the door. Sansha dug through the trunk she'd   
put at the foot of her bed and pulled out an outfit   
identical to the one she'd arrived in. She changed   
quickly and sat on the bed next to Akane. She   
grabbed a brush off of her bedside table and began   
combing the knots out of her wet hair.  
Akane was laying on her stomach, ankles crossed   
over her back as she swung her legs slowly as she   
traced the pattern on the bedspread. "How long do   
you think you and your brother will be here Sansha?"  
The redhead paused and cocked her head. After a   
moment she sighed and lost the usual cheerful   
expression she wore. "I do not know, but I 'ope we   
will be staying for a very long time. I am so tired   
of travel!"  
Akane smiled and rolled over to lie on her back   
next to her friend. "I hope you stay for a long   
time too. It's nice to have someone to talk to. To   
tell you the truth, I was a little hurt when Ranma   
told me he'd be taking on new students."  
Sansha nodded, "But of course you should be! E   
is your fiancée, after all."  
Akane frowned and Sansha raised an eyebrow at   
the troubled expression her friend wore.  
"Oh, Sansha, I'm so confused."  
"Ow so, my friend, and I shall try and 'elp   
you."  
Akane sat up and cast a shy glance at her   
friend. "I don't want to trouble you. Ranma   
obviously doesn't see a problem with the   
arrangement."  
Sansha held up her hands, "Now, do not get   
angry, my friend. Perhaps he just sees things   
differently zan you. I do not know ze situation;   
perhaps you could explain things to me?"  
Akane sighed and squared herself off with her   
friend. She began the long explanation, beginning   
with Ranma's peculiar arrival at her home. She   
didn't leave too many things out, only a few really   
personal things. When she finished, she was nearly   
in tears.  
"I mean, if he doesn't want to marry me, fine!   
He's famous, and rich, and a much better fighter   
than me; why should I deserve him? But for heaven's   
sake, can't he just tell me? Why does he have to   
draw it out like this?"  
Sansha thought for a moment; the serious   
expression nearly comical to anyone who really new   
the fun and lively girl.  
"Perhaps 'e is trying to find an honorable way   
out of ze engagement, no? Eet seems difficult, so   
perhaps eet iz taking a long time." She raised an   
eyebrow and wiggled it suggestively. "Or maybe 'e   
does want to marry you and 'e won't admit it to   
imself."  
Akane bit her lip and tried to fathom that.   
"Maybe."  
Sansha sighed and leaned back. "You must tell   
me, my friend, ow you truly feel about Ranma."  
Akane leaned back against the headboard and   
outlined the carved design with her finger. "I   
really like Ranma. I don't know about marrying him;   
I'm too young for that. How else would I feel?   
He's so smart and funny and charming and talented!"  
Sansha held up a helpful finger, "And 'andsome!"  
Akane giggled and hugged a pillow. "OH,   
definitely! What did you expect me to say?"  
Sansha shrugged and took her brush to Akane's   
hair this time. "Oh, I don't know. You two have an   
arranged marriage. I would not be surprised if   
someone with as strong a will as you would not buck   
at such restraints."  
Akane blushed, "Well, I'm not happy with it, but   
Ryo Tome was my hero before I found out how   
wonderful Ranma Soatome was! If it weren't for the   
engagement, I would never have met him!" She sighed   
and fingered a lock of her long hair. "I just wish   
he would give it a try. Maybe it would work out,   
you know?"  
  
Ranma let his hand fall from where he'd held it,   
poised to knock on Sansha's door. He hadn't thought   
that Akane would take the engagement seriously at   
all. He hadn't wanted to hurt her. Maybe he should   
humor her. With a thoughtful expression, he   
wandered back to his room.  
He picked up his address book and the phone,   
dialing a number he knew well. He just hoped he could  
stay male the whole time.  
After a couple of minutes on the phone, he went   
back to Sansha's door and knocked.  
"Please come in."  
Ranma poked his head in and smiled. "Hey girls,   
dinner is ready."  
"OH, thanks." They stood and he held the door   
open for them. He closed it and put a hand on   
Akane's shoulder to stop her. Sansha stopped and he   
smiled at her. "Go ahead, I just have to talk to   
Akane for a moment."  
Sansha blinked at him, then turned and grinned   
at Akane before running down the hallway. Ranma   
turned and smiled down at her.  
"Akane, I thought that we should give the whole   
engagement thing a try. Why don't we go out   
tomorrow night?"  
Akane froze and then began to fidget a little.   
"Just the two of us? Well, if you want to."  
He smiled and grabbed her hand. "Great! I'll   
pick you up at six!" He kissed her hand before   
putting her arm through his. Together, they walked   
down to dinner.  
  
Nabiki had known something was up the night   
before when Akane and Ranma walked into dinner arm   
in arm. When Akane had asked Kasumi and Nabiki for   
help getting ready for her date, she'd known what   
had happened just before dinner the night before.  
Nabiki picked up a yellow dress and held it   
against Akane. "No, that just won't do."  
There was a knock on the door and the three   
girls looked up. "Come in."  
Sansha poked a smiling head in. "Do we need   
help, girls?" She giggled and ran in with her arms   
full of clothes and a caboodle full of make-up.   
Within an hour, Akane was ready to go. They'd   
chosen an interesting version of 'the little black   
dress' with a low-cut front, no back, and spaghetti   
straps. It fell to her knees, wasn't really tight   
or really loose.  
They'd curled her long hair and given her some   
dramatic yet subtle make-up. She wasn't brave   
enough for the strappy stiletto heels; so she chose   
the simple black pumps with a wider, slightly lower   
heel. Her sisters and Sansha stepped back to study   
her.  
Nabiki nodded after a moment. "She'll do."   
When Akane sent her a nervous glance, she smiled.   
"Kidding, sis, you look fabulous."  
There was a knock and they all glanced at the   
clock. "Akane?" Ranma called from the hallway.  
"Coming!" She shot her friends a nervous glance   
as they moved to be out of sight when she opened the   
door. Ranma grinned and held out his arm.   
  
Akane took his arm with a weak and nervous   
smile. He grinned and looked her up and down.  
"You look wonderful, Akane."  
She tugged self-consciously at the hem of her   
dress with the hand that wasn't clutching her purse.   
She smiled and scanned his appearance. He was   
wearing an expertly tailored tuxedo; the kind that   
without a tie, just a fancy button at his throat.   
The hand not occupied with her arm was casually   
tucked into his pants pocket. What really surprised   
her was that he'd left his hair loose. He had an   
ebony curtain of shiny black hair hanging to his   
waist.  
"You look very elegant, Ranma."  
He smiled and started down the stairs, Akane   
still on his arm, "You sound surprised that I can   
pull that off."  
She smiled up at him, "Surprisingly, I'm not.   
I've learned to not be surprised by you, Ranma."  
He chuckled and they walked out the front door.   
Akane looked up expecting to see his little sports   
car. Instead, a uniformed man was holding open the   
back door to a sleek, stretched white limo. Akane   
paused and looked questioningly up at him.  
"Where's your little car?"  
He smiled down at her with a raised eyebrow, "I   
thought this would be a little more appropriate for   
the evening I have planned. Of course, if you   
prefer sports cars—"  
"Oh, no, this is fine. I'd hate to mess up your   
plans." She blushed a little as he chuckled. He   
helped her in and followed as soon as she was   
settled. The driver closed the door and trotted   
around to his own seat.  
Ranma stretched with a smile. "There's nothing   
like the privacy of tinted windows. Do you want   
anything to drink?" He was leaning over and opened   
a small door that Akane hadn't even noticed.  
"Uh, sure."  
He nodded and rummaged around, his back to Akane   
so she couldn't tell what he was doing. A moment   
later, he turned and handed her a fluted glass of   
champagne. It was beautiful cut crystal with a gold   
rim. She thanked him and took a sip. She'd had a   
little champagne at a couple of weddings, and she   
was pretty sure that she pulled off the calm   
appearance of someone that drank alcohol in limos   
all of the time.  
Ranma leaned back and took a sip. He closed his   
eyes and sighed in bliss. "Now that, is pure   
heaven."  
She giggled, partly from the bubbles, but mostly   
because she hadn't seen Ranma this relaxed since   
they'd left China. He opened one eye and turned his   
head enough to smile at her. After a moment where   
they simply smiled at each other, they both burst   
into cheerful laughter.  
When they'd calmed down, he sighed and caught   
his breath. "We've got a short drive before we get   
to the restaurant."  
"Oh, where are we going?"  
He glanced out the window, "Oh, a friend of mine   
has a nice little club downtown. I helped him out   
with it, a little, when he was first getting   
started."  
Akane smiled and handed him her empty glass,   
which he put away. "That's nice of you Ranma."  
He shrugged it off, "I just hope you can dance   
in those shoes. That's another part of why we're   
going there. It's the best place to go in Japan if   
you want excellent food and dancing all in one   
place."  
They made small talk and continued to smile and   
laugh and generally have fun. When the car rolled   
to a stop, Ranma looked up in surprise.   
"I hadn't realized we were here already."  
Ranma stepped out of the car and turned to extend   
a hand. Akane blinked as she stepped out in the bright  
light outside the club. They were too close for her   
to be able to tell much about the building itself, since  
they were right on the sidewalk just outside it.  
Akane blinked once at the long line of people   
waiting to get past the bouncer. The bouncer looked up   
with a frown, but smiled as he saw Ranma. He clipped the  
rope across the line of waiting people dressed in elegant   
evening wear and trotted over to the door.  
"Mr. Soatome. You haven't been around lately.   
Enjoy your evening."  
"Thanks."  
They strolled into a lobby of some type; a hat   
check girl scanned them up and down with a smile,   
but didn't move toward them since neither of them   
had either a hat or a coat. Ranma strolled past the   
girl without a glance and approached the double   
doors directly before them. They were wide open; a   
maitre 'de standing behind an elegant podium while music   
was playing loudly in the next room.  
The man behind the podium was completely bald   
and wore a much simpler tuxedo than Ranma. He   
smiled and gave a slight bow.  
"Ah, Mr. Soatome, you're right on time as usual.   
I believe you know the way upstairs?"  
Ranma nodded and waved a negligent hand as he   
went through the doors and turned right. There was   
a beautiful wooden spiral staircase in front of   
them; another bouncer positioned at the bottom.   
Ranma stepped aside and gestured for Akane to   
precede him. She nodded with a smile and started   
up. She felt her cheeks heat up a little when Ranma   
followed directly behind her; a steadying hand   
placed on the small of her back as they made their   
way up the narrow, steep stairs.  
There was an entire room above the nightclub   
downstairs. Where the first floor was a   
stereotypical club, the second floor was entirely   
new. The people downstairs were partying loudly   
with the occasional screech or a particularly loud   
laugh. The people upstairs were obviously having   
fun, as evident in their laughter and smiling faces,   
but were behaving much more subdued and elegantly.   
Another thing that Akane noticed that differed   
between the two rooms was the appearance and attires   
of the people. Everyone downstairs was dressed up   
in the way Akane or her friends would for a fairly   
formal school dance, but not in flowing ballgowns.   
The people upstairs wore sleek designer suits and   
dresses with sparkling gold and jewels. Akane   
seriously suspected that all of those jewels were   
real, and fingered the simple gold chain she wore   
self-consciously.  
"Ranma, we're over here!"  
Ranma and Akane turned to see a man standing up   
from his seat at a corner booth. Ranma smiled   
softly, putting his arm around Akane's waist and   
started leading her in that direction. Akane just   
tried to imitate the calm, carefree manor of all the   
other women in the room. There were three couples   
sitting at the nearly circular booth. The man that   
had called out to Ranma had dark blonde hair and   
smiling eyes.  
"Hey, Ranma, I forgot you were stopping by   
tonight. And who's this charming vision?"  
Akane blinked and had to think for a moment   
before she realized he was talking about her. Her   
cheeks grew a little pinker and a woman sitting next   
to the standing man chuckled.  
Ranma smiled calmly down at her for a second   
before turning back to the man. "Well, Michael,   
this is Akane Tendo. And she happens to be the   
daughter and heir of the master of the Tendo school   
of Anything Goes." He paused and his smile grew to   
be a little more sarcastic. "Oh, and she's my   
fiancée."  
Everyone stared blankly at Ranma's bland   
expression. After a moment, their gazes turned as   
one to look at Akane. She couldn't help it, she had   
to laugh at how easily these cool sophisticates had   
been blown away by Ranma's casual banter.  
The girl directly to Akane's left smiled and   
nodded. "Well, she has a nice laugh, so I'd say you   
made a good choice, Soatome." Akane looked   
cautiously down at the girl. She was around Akane's   
age with long chocolate brown hair. She wore a deep   
purple pantsuit and smiled up at Akane. "I'm an old   
friend of Ranma's. My name's Ukyo Kuonji."  
Akane was about to exchange some sort of   
pleasantries when Ranma snorted. "Since when have I   
been 'Soatome,' Ucchan?"  
The girl laughed, "Since you changed so   
drastically and we both grew up. You're an entirely   
different person now."  
Ranma smiled back and Ukyo scooted over so that   
Akane and Ranma would have room to sit down. Ranma   
helped Akane down next to his old friend, then sat   
next to Akane. Akane smiled and remained silent as   
the people around the table laughed and joked.  
The man beside Ukyo was wearing khakis and a   
satin dress shirt embroidered with white tigers. He   
had long, bleached hair and wore sunglasses. He had   
an arm around Ukyo's shoulders, but neither of them   
seemed overly romantic toward each other. His name   
was Jayce or Jason or something like that.  
The man next to him was wearing a black suit and   
had short black hair. He looked like a typical, if   
handsome, late middle-aged Chinese man. He kept   
talking about the stock market and business matters   
that either confused or amused the other people at   
the table. His name was Chong.  
The woman seated beside him had an American   
appearance and accent. Her name was Susie, and she   
wore a strapless red mini-dress. She was much   
younger than her husband Chong, and getting quite   
drunk. Most of the people at the table ignored her   
loud comments.  
Next to her was the man who'd greeted Ranma when   
they'd arrived. He was introduced to Akane as   
'Maxwell, but we call him Maxie when he's bad' right   
after they'd sat down. He had a woman sitting next   
to him that looked exactly like him except that she   
had a stern expression. She wore a high-necked,   
ankle length dress.   
The stern woman had smirked at that point. "I'm   
his twin, Maxine. They call me Maxie when I am   
good."  
Everyone had burst out laughing. After the very   
rapid introductions, they'd all immediately picked   
their conversations up exactly where they'd been   
interrupted by Ranma's arrival. Ranma would make   
the occasional comment, but stayed mostly silent.   
After a few moments, Akane was getting a little   
upset. This was supposed to be their date, not a   
party. Of course, just as her feelings were really   
starting to get bruised, Ranma glanced at his watch.  
"Well, Akane and I are gonna head off to our   
table. I'll see you guys around." The two of them   
stood and there were polite farewells from all, and   
a couple of not so polite ones as well. A few   
seconds later, they were seated at a table for two   
in a secluded little niche with a screen of ferns   
making it cozy and a little more private. They also   
had a cheerful view of the dance floor down on the   
first floor.  
They were settling into their seats when a   
waiter appeared. He put down glasses of water and   
two menus. "What would you like to drink this   
evening, Mr. Soatome?"  
Ranma ordered something, but Akane wasn't sure   
what is was since it was in a different language.   
The waiter nodded and disappeared. Ranma picked up   
his menu.  
"What do you like, Akane? They've got a pretty   
varied menu, but I know a few house specialties if   
you'd like."  
Akane had opened the menu without thought. Now   
she was glad he'd made that offer. There were only   
a few dishes she recognized; most of the items on   
the menu were foreign.  
She arranged her face in a calm smile as she   
lowered the menu. "That would be nice. I'm sure   
you have a better idea of what's good here than I   
do."  
He chuckled and she glanced down at the front of   
the menu. She froze and blinked; but no, she wasn't   
mistaken. "Ranma, this is 'The Dragon's Den'!"  
"Uh, yeah."   
She looked up at his confused expression. She   
leaned forward and lowered her voice a little.   
"But, 'The Dragon's Den' is the most elite club in   
Japan!"   
He nodded slowly in confusion. "Yeah, didn't I   
mention that in the car?"  
She blinked. Her friends would never believe   
her. Ranma put his menu down and it wasn't a full   
minute before their waiter returned. Seconds later   
she was sipping wine and Ranma was ordering food   
that she probably wouldn't be able to pronounce.   
When the waiter left, she cocked her head in a   
questioning pose.  
"Ranma, who were those people back at that   
table?"  
He blinked. "Oh, I'm sorry. Ucchan and I lived   
in the same neighborhood for awhile when we were   
younger. The others all work for Chad or, of   
course, are married to someone who does. I   
introduced Ucchan to them, and she ended up getting   
a job for Chad too."  
"OH, business associates." She smiled at the   
irony, and he chuckled.  
"You could say that. Max owns this place, you   
know."  
Akane blinked, "Really? Wow, he must be pretty   
well off then."  
Ranma's face went blank as he raised one   
eyebrow. "Uh, Akane, Ucchan and you are probably   
the only ones up here who aren't millionaires."  
Akane stopped moving entirely; not even   
breathing for a moment as she pondered that.   
"Ranma, I'm sorry."  
He started and leaned forward a little. "What   
are you sorry about?"  
She sighed and sat back in her chair, staring at   
her clasped hands in her lap. "You don't have to do   
this. I'm not good enough for you. I—"  
Ranma held up a hand and she stopped. She   
looked up at his face, surprised to see a little   
anger on it. "Akane, don't even start with that. I   
lived on the streets for years. Do you think I'm   
going to frown upon your family?" he reached over   
and clasped her hands in his. "We're going to give   
this marriage a chance. If it doesn't look like   
it's going to work out, we'll find some honorable   
way of dissolving it."  
She winced and he sighed. "Akane, I'm a   
dangerous man to be around for a long period of   
time. I've got a few enemies, and I'm hesitant to   
put people at risk. But, I'm willing to try this if   
you are. I'm not royalty or some third generation   
oil giant; I'm just a martial artist who got a   
couple of decent breaks."  
She nodded and he smiled. "You want to go dance   
until dinner's ready?"  
  
Akane was surrounded by a cluster of her school   
friends. Sansha was directly to her right,   
occasionally asking for particular details.   
"And he was such an incredible dancer! We even   
waltzed once! And dinner was amazing. I think mine   
was French, but I was too embarrassed to ask him."  
Sansha sighed in indirect bliss. "What did you   
do after dinner?"  
Akane grinned, "Believe it or not, we went to a   
movie at the same cinema we always go to! There was   
a martial arts movie playing that I'd mentioned   
wanting to see once to Nabiki. Then we went and got   
ice cream and drove around town for awhile." She   
grinned, "And then we went home."  
Sansha leaned in very close, a skeptical look on   
her face. "Did he kiss you?"  
Akane blushed and smiled down at her hands.   
"Yes."  
The group of girls shrieked and rolled in the   
grass. Other students looked up from their lunches,   
but soon returned to their food. They quickly   
looked back up, though, as an outraged scream filled   
the schoolyard.  
"He What?!"   
Akane's head whipped around to see Kuno leap   
from the bushes behind her. He had a leaf from said   
bush sticking out of his hair as he seethed in   
anger.  
Akane glared at the upperclassmen. "Go away   
Kuno."  
One of her friends stood and fisted her hands on   
her hips. "Yeah, it's not like you could compete   
with Ranma Soatome!"  
Kuno scoffed. "Alas, he may have won the battle   
for the first kiss, but Tatewaki Kuno shall be   
victorious in the war for my fair maiden's heart."  
Akane turned her back to him again and pulled   
her bento over. "Yeah, Kuno, whatever you say."  
Kuno opened his mouth but stopped when he   
noticed that none of the girls were paying attention   
to him anymore. Suddenly he froze and cocked his   
head, a gleeful and thoughtful expression dawning   
slowly. He spun on his heel and marched   
purposefully through the gates and off school   
grounds.  
  
Ranma stretched his arms over his head and   
arched his back, a blissful grin on his face. He'd   
thought long and hard about how he should spend the   
day when he'd first awoken that morning. Of course,   
he could have trained like he had every day of his   
life since he could walk. However, after a relaxing   
night out, he was in too good of a mood to spend   
these hours in violence.  
Thus, he'd secreted himself away in the library   
as soon as Akane and Nabiki had gone to school, and   
Kasumi had gone shopping and visiting old friends   
and neighbors. Soun was home, but he could spend   
weeks reading the same newspaper over and over. Now   
Ranma was sitting with crossed legs on a wing backed   
chair before an artificial fire in the antique   
fireplace; an equally antique tome of poetry and   
philosophy open in his lap.  
He sighed in contentment. He hadn't taken the   
time to relax with one of his beloved books in   
months. With a smile he leaned his head back and   
rested it on the plush red velvet. He was so   
relaxed, that he actually dozed off; only to awake   
when he felt a sudden presence nearby.  
His eyes shot open and he jumped to his feet,   
landing in a defensive stance.   
  
Nabiki got home from school with a bag loaded   
with homework and regular work. She poked her head   
into the kitchen to find Kasumi, but it was empty.   
There was, however, a note on the table. Nabiki   
scanned it before glancing at the clock. The eldest   
Tendo would apparently be home in a couple of hours.   
With a shrug, Nabiki dropped the note and started   
down the hallway to the library.  
Nabiki had taken to retreating into the library   
after school every day to work. It seemed to be the   
most comfortable and yet ill-used room in the house.   
Most of the house was decorated straight out of a   
magazine. Carved wooden antique pieces of furniture   
too fragile looking to be used perched on ancient   
oriental rugs and beneath oil paintings by famous   
artists.  
But the library was different. It had a certain   
feel to it; like someone had carefully chosen each   
object in the room and placed them exactly where   
they belonged. The chairs and tables weren't placed   
in social clusters as was the case with most   
libraries. Here, they were solitary little islands   
promising privacy and a warm comfort that came with   
the good company of a good book. There were three   
tables, each with an elegant chair with ample   
padding. The shelves themselves were only filled   
with books to a height that could be easily read and   
reached without a stool or ladder. Above that   
point, the shelves were filled with trinkets.  
Nabiki opened the door just wide enough to slip   
in, as if trying to keep the comfort and peace from   
escaping. She quickly snapped the wooden door   
closed and leaned against it with her eyes closed in   
bliss. She didn't sigh, though she wanted to,   
because the soft sound would break a peace that   
should only be broken by turned pages and pens   
scratching on paper.  
After a pause, she strode happily and   
purposefully to the desk to the far right that she   
had claimed as her own. Each of the desks was   
different, as were the chairs. The one that she   
preferred had a business-like manner with elegant,   
feminine curves as well. Nabiki privately thought   
that it was very like her. She walked past it   
however to the shelves holding reference materials   
that she would be using.   
She paused thoughtfully before the shelves when   
she thought she saw movement to her left. She   
turned her head and jumped with a shriek. She   
noticed the familiar sight of a martial arts stance   
first, then she noticed the black clothing. She   
ducked slightly, turning her head away and covering   
it with her hands. Eyes closed as she prepared for   
a blow, she was a little startled at a familiar   
voice.  
"Nabiki, what are you doing here?"  
She slowly lowered her hands and blinked at   
Ranma. He was frowning slightly, now simply   
standing with his arms at his sides as opposed to   
the tense stance he'd held a moment ago. He was   
wearing a black velvet robe over dark silver satin   
Chinese clothes like the ones he always wore.   
She pressed a hand to her chest and glared at   
him. "Thanks for the scare, Ranma. If you must   
know, I'm using your library to do homework."  
He lost his frown and shrugged. "Oh, okay.   
I'll just keep reading if you don't mind." With   
that he turned and leaned over to scoop up the book   
he'd dropped on the overly-plush carpet when he'd   
jumped from his seat. He sat down in the wing   
backed chair and opened it flawlessly to an   
apparently random page, immediately beginning to   
read.  
Nabiki shrugged and turned back to select a book   
from the shelf. She sat at 'her' desk and opened   
several books and a notebook. Within moments, she   
was absorbed in her homework.  
  
Ranma finished a particularly stirring   
philosophical passage when he decided to choose a   
new book. He stood fluidly and nearly started at   
the sight of another person in the room. He froze   
in shock at letting that presence go unnoticed for   
so long to his senses. Slowly he started moving   
toward the small shelf above the fireplace where he   
kept his particular favorites.  
He looked up as someone knocked on the door.   
Nabiki did as well, and Kasumi poked her smiling   
face into the door. "Hello, Ranma. Nabiki, you   
have a visitor."  
Nabiki blinked once then stood. "Thanks, sis,   
I'm coming." She put her pencil down at the top of   
the slanted desk and walked quickly and gracefully   
to the door.  
The girls left and Ranma turned back to his   
shelf. He was reaching up to shelve his book when   
he heard a soft sound. He turned to the desk that   
Nabiki had been working so diligently at. His eyes   
dropped to the floor, where her pencil had fallen.   
He shelved his book with a single glance over his   
shoulder at the shelf. Then he walked over and bent   
to pick up the pencil. The point was perfect, the   
eraser unused, and he balanced it carefully just   
where Nabiki'd left it.  
He froze as his hand left the pencil. She'd   
left sheets of figures and neat stacks of bills and   
receipts out. He glanced down and nearly gasped.   
Ranma had known that finances were tight with the   
Tendos, but they were positively poor. He ran a   
finger down the pristine columns of numbers, noting   
all the negatives that nearly overpowered the few   
positives.  
He placed his hands on the sides of the desk and   
leaned over the papers as he studied them further.   
His lips were pursed and his eyebrows drawn down and   
together when Nabiki walked back into the room ten   
or fifteen minutes later. She froze, hand still on   
the knob, and swallowed.  
"Did you find something interesting, Soatome?"  
She glided over to the desk and he stepped back   
as she began gathering papers. He wouldn't have   
been surprised if she'd stomped over angrily, burst   
into shamed tears, or ran from the room. Instead,   
she proudly and carefully arranged the documents in   
their appropriate folders and pockets.  
When she had finished and picked up the bulging   
schoolbag, she turned to stare coldly up at the   
perplexed martial artist.  
"Well?"  
His face lost the tight lines of insulted anger,   
and softened into concern. "Nabiki, why didn't you   
tell me you were so short on cash? Kasumi has been   
insisting on buying all of the groceries and won't   
take anything for all of the cooking and cleaning   
she's done. I could at least help out with that   
much."  
Nabiki turned her head away, "That's hardly   
necessary. We'll manage, as we have been for   
years."  
"Nabiki, how does your family get by? None of   
you have jobs—"  
"If you must know, I run a rather elaborate   
betting pool centered at school that extends all the   
way through Nerima. I also have a few other,   
smaller business ventures as well."  
She glanced stiffly up at him as if expecting   
shock or disapproval. Instead, he was nodding   
thoughtfully.  
"I can't complain about a little betting after   
working for a mobster, but I worry about you getting   
in trouble for some of your business venture. Where   
would your family be then?"  
She snorted angrily, "Well, we wouldn't be so   
tight financially if it weren't for you, ya know   
Soatome." She glanced away and back quickly, biting   
her lip as if she'd said more than she wanted.  
He frowned for a moment, "How have I hurt your   
financial status? I'd think that I was helping   
since I'm paying the utilities."  
She sighed and crossed her arms. "Well, Akane's   
always been very profitable. The students at school   
make bets on her romantic status, the length and   
content of her fights, and even her grades. Her   
suitors pay huge sums for photos or, er, vital   
statistics of her. When you showed up as her fiancé   
and stopped the morning fights, you caused several   
problems."  
She sat down in her chair and cupped her face,   
leaning sadly against the desk. "The loss of the   
fights took most of the betting, and therefore, the   
money. Then, knowing that Akane was taken by the   
greatest fighter in Japan, she was very out of their   
reach. It became obvious that she was infatuated   
with you, so that placed her on an even higher and   
more unreachable pedestal. They now worship her   
from afar, and have no need of such talismans as   
photos or locks of hair. Furinken High now has no   
fighting on most days, and definitely none worth   
betting on, as well as a distinct lack of a heart   
throb for the hormonal boys to drool over."  
Ranma crossed one arm over his chest and placed   
a thoughtful finger to his lips. "How can we go   
about correcting this problem?"  
Nabiki narrowed her eyes, but otherwise kept her   
face blank. "We will do nothing. This is a Tendo   
problem, Soatome. We Tendos shall overcome on our   
own."  
He sighed. "I think it only fair that   
compensate you for the losses I've caused you."  
Nabiki turned instantly from quietly seething   
anger, to openly thoughtful. "Well, if you insist .   
. . Ranma, are you aware that you have a fan club   
at our school?" 


	5. Family Ties revised

Akane watched Ranma intently as he stood   
motionless before her. After what seemed like   
eternity, his fist flew straight toward her face   
without any apparent warning. She thought she could   
dodge it. Ranma thought she could dodge it. She   
tried to dodge it. She didn't dodge it.  
She flew backwards in a graceful arc. It was   
really quite perfect for a photograph. It was   
really quite sad that Nabiki wasn't around with a   
camera. Ranma jumped and barely caught her before   
she hit the floor, rolling nimbly with her encased   
in his arms until they stopped several yards away.   
Ranma stared down at her dazed expression with a   
worried glint in his baby blues. Then he went   
flying. He lay motionless for several moments   
before slowly sitting up and rubbing his jaw.  
She was biting her lip. Her shoulders shook   
once, twice, then she burst out with a triumphant   
cheer as she jumped to her feet.  
"I did it!"  
Sansha and her brother poked their heads into   
the dojo's door. She cocked hers and asked in her   
heavy and unusual accent, "Vat did you do, Akane?"  
Akane ran over and grabbed her friend's hands,   
still bouncing. "I caught Ranma by surprise! I   
took the majority of a punch on purpose. Then, when   
he was leaning over me all worried and everything, I   
socked him!"  
Sansha began hopping with Akane at this point as   
Ranma shrugged. "Geez, Akane. It ain't that big of   
a deal."  
Akane sent Ranma a skeptical look. "Yeah, right   
Ranma. I suppose you think you're easy to   
surprise?"   
He shook his head and stood easily in one fluid   
movement. "Nah, and to tell ya the truth, I   
wouldn't recommend surprising me too often.   
Remember the soup incident?"  
Akane sighed and Sansha looked very confused.   
"I know, but this was different. Your element is   
fighting, and I caught you off guard."  
He nodded, "Yes, and you learned something   
important from it too. You have to know when to   
take sacrifices in a fight. You took a blow, but   
you gave at least what you got. Good job. Now,   
what do you two need?"  
Sansha, still grinning, opened her mouth a   
second behind her brother. He shot his cackling   
sister a disgraced glance before answering Ranma.   
"We were sent by zee lovely Miz Kah-zumi to tell you   
two of dinner."  
Ranma blinked once. "OH. We'll be down once we   
clean up then."  
The twins nodded and scampered off, apparently   
to find Soun and Nabiki with the same message.   
Ranma turned and smiled down at Akane.  
"I really am proud of you, Akane."  
She flushed a little and looked away. "Oh, it   
wasn't that big of a deal. I just got carried away   
in the moment."  
Her eyes rolled over and up to meet his, her   
face still tilted away slightly from his own. Without   
thought, he reached out with a finger to tilt her face   
up to his. He leaned forward and kissed her.  
  
Akane was shocked, but pleasantly, as he kissed   
her much deeper than he had the night of their date.   
She sighed as he pulled away, and they smiled at   
each other. Then he took a step back and his finger   
fell slowly, regretfully from her chin.  
"We'd better get cleaned up. You can go first."   
He gestured in the general direction of his private   
bathroom.  
She nodded, her face adorably pink, and   
scampered from the room. Ranma watched her go with   
some regret, wanting to follow her. He sighed and   
turned to the wall lined with mirrors. It wasn't   
very traditional, but it came in handy sometimes   
when you were training alone to be able to see   
yourself.  
Now he studied his face and wondered what he   
should do with his life.  
  
Akane touched her fingers to her lips before   
entering the dining room a few minutes later. She'd   
changed out of her tank top and shorts, and into a   
simple blouse and skirt. With a pleased smile, she   
opened the door and walked in.  
"Hello, every—"She stopped dead as she noticed   
Kasumi talking to the lavender haired woman. "—  
one."  
The two women looked up and smiled. Kasumi   
cocked her head in her usual cheerful manner and   
said, "Good evening, Akane. Did you have a good   
work out with Ranma?"  
The other woman raised a questioning and vaguely   
disapproving eyebrow at Akane; hinting that maybe   
She and Ranma had been engaged in some scandalous   
acts. Akane blushed, "Uh, yeah Kasumi, it was   
great. I managed to catch Ranma by surprise with a   
punch and sent him flying across the room. He   
almost hit the bedroom door."  
The woman had been relaxing, but had the nerve   
to look scandalized again at that last sentence.   
Akane blushed even more furiously as she realized   
her mistake. She was saved, however, as Nabiki came   
in.  
"Hello everyone, if you'll excuse me—"  
Ranma was walking through the doorway behind   
her. He placed one hand on her back and steered her   
over to her usual seat at the table with a smile.  
"You'll be staying right here, Nabiki. I have   
an important message for the entire household." He   
pulled out her chair and had gently guided her into   
it before she'd realized it and gathered herself   
enough to comment.  
"I'm sure I can get the minutes from your   
secretary when I get home. I have a meeting with   
some people from school."  
Ranma waved a dismissive hand and took his own   
seat at the head of the table. "Actually Nabiki, my   
message pertains to your schooling. Now, who are we   
missing? He scanned the table, but Kasumi glided   
into the room with the last of the dishes. She took   
her seat, and Ranma smiled before resuming his scan   
of the table's occupants.   
Soun, as head of his household, was to Ranma's   
right. To Ranma's left was Akane. Kasumi and   
Nabiki sat next to their father. Sansha was next to   
Akane, then Marco by her. Saya had taken the last   
chair, the one at the opposite end of the table from   
Ranma. Noting that everyone was here now, Ranma   
tapped his glass.  
When everyone's faces turned to him, he stood   
and smiled. "Everyone, I believe that most of you   
know Saya? For those of you who don't, she was my   
private tutor for awhile when I was younger."   
Akane blinked.  
"I've told you all that there are certain   
dangers that come with living with and being around   
me. As a result, I thought that Nabiki and Akane   
continuing to go to a public school while some of   
Jaxom's men are still on the loose is far too   
dangerous for my comfort."  
He smiled down the table Saya. She had her   
hands folded in her lap and a serene half smile on   
her lips. Akane wondered if her face was capable of   
stretching into a full smile.  
"So, I've asked Saya to come here and give you   
girls the same education that she gave me." He   
turned to the Keller twins, "And of course the two   
of you are included as well. It's much safer if you   
all remain here where I can be sure of your safety.   
It will also be safer for Saya, since she worked for   
the Roses as well."  
There was a collective blink from everyone   
except Ranma, Saya, and of course, Kasumi. Nabiki   
stood stiffly and stared blankly at the wall before   
her for a moment.   
"If you'll excuse me, I'll be in my room making   
some very important phone calls."  
"Oh my," Kasumi muttered.  
They all watched her leave and Ranma sighed.   
"Don't worry; I'll have a talk with her after   
dinner. I've already had all of the paperwork done;   
you'll be going back to your school tomorrow for the   
last time until Jaxom's rings of hitmen have all   
been uncovered."  
  
As soon as it was politely excusable, Ranma   
wiped his mouth on his napkin and stood. "I'm going   
to go straighten a few things out with Nabiki."  
He was perfectly calm both inwardly and   
outwardly as he walked up the stairs and through the   
hallways to the room that Nabiki had claimed while   
he'd raced to China to save her sister. He paused   
in front of the door and heard a soft conversation.  
He knocked on the door before opening it and walking   
in.  
Nabiki was sitting in front of the vanity in a   
dark green robe. She stopped mid-sentence and   
turned to look coldly at him over her shoulder. She   
turned back to the vanity and scribbled a note on   
the notebook in front of her. "I'll call you back."  
She turned around but remained on the stool.   
"Yes, how can I help you?"  
Ranma looked around but the only seat was the   
bed. "I know why you're mad."  
She glared coldly at him. "I told you how   
important my business at the school was to my   
family. Now we'll have no income whatsoever."  
Ranma held up one finger and slowly shook his   
head once. "Not quite. Since our conversation in   
the Library I've done a little research on you.   
You're good, Nabiki. You're a natural with numbers.   
I thought, if you accept of course, that you would   
do much better handling my money than the three   
people I have currently under my employ for the   
job."  
Nabiki blinked and sat up a little taller than   
she had been. She quickly ran through the mental   
list she'd been keeping of the priceless antiques   
and artworks she'd managed to identify in the house.   
She cocked her head and drawled, "Please, go on . .   
."  
  
Akane had taken her time with dinner. After   
Ranma left, she and Kasumi had crossed gazes. With   
a nod, Akane had silently agreed to go check on   
Nabiki later. She waited patiently for three full   
minutes after Ranma left before she stood. Her   
father was crying over the generosity of his future   
son-in-law.  
She walked slowly up the stairs, pausing on each   
step for half a heartbeat. She made her cautious   
way down the halls to Nabiki's room. She froze as   
Ranma walked out of Nabiki's room with a self-  
satisfied smirk. He didn't seem to notice Akane,   
going in the other direction as he left the room.   
Akane frowned in confusion, but was more worried   
about her sister at the moment.  
She ran up to the door and thrust her head in.   
"Hey, sis!"  
Nabiki waved casually, staring blissfully off   
into space. "Hi."  
Akane walked over and waved her hand in front of   
her sister's face.  
  
Akane's face was the epitome of a perplexed   
teenager. "Okay, so he's paying for us to have a   
private tutor and for you to handle his money   
because he feels guilty for making us lose money by   
being engaged to me?"  
Nabiki nodded, still in a state of dazed bliss.   
Akane threw her hands into the air. "That doesn't   
make any sense!"  
Finally coming back to her senses, Nabiki   
winked, "It does when you know the entire context.   
Look around you Akane, think about all of the money  
he must have! I bet that's why he made the   
stipulations." She placed a thoughtful finger to her   
chin.  
Akane frowned again. "What stipulations?"  
Nabiki waved a distracted hand, "Oh, only that I   
couldn't tell anyone how much he had, make any   
transactions over a million dollars without his   
approval, or see any of his records older than two   
years without his permission."  
Akane yelped. "Are you kidding me?"  
Nabiki suddenly looked like a very content   
kitten with a gallon of cream and a pound of tuna.   
"Nope, isn't it wonderful?"  
  
Akane woke up feeling more rested than she had   
in months. She stretched happily, wondering how she   
felt so rested when Kasumi hadn't even woken her up   
yet. She glanced over at the clock and yelped. She   
should have been up fifteen minutes ago!  
She was bathed, dressed, and finishing drying   
her hair when she remembered. She was going to   
school today, but she wasn't attending school. She   
wasn't sure how she felt about having a private   
tutor, but she knew that she hated that tutor. Now   
frowning, she started to storm out of the room.   
Then an idea struck her faster than even Ranma   
could.  
Akane scanned her reflection in the mirror,   
biting a contemplative lip. With a slow nod she ran   
to the bathroom.  
  
Sansha growled as the knocking continued to   
disrupt her sleep. Grumbling to herself she was up   
and opening the door before she realized it. She   
flung the door open as a lock of hair fell over her   
right eye.  
She blinked a few times before she noticed that   
Akane had swept into the room with an armful of   
stuff. Stuff was the perfect word for the hodge-  
podge of miscellaneous objects in Akane's arms.   
Sansha sighed as said stuff was flung in a pile onto   
her bed.  
"Akane, my dear friend, eet eez far too early   
for you to be out of bed with such abounding   
energy."  
Akane giggled with a determined and yet blissful   
grin. "No, we need an early start. I have the   
perfect plan for getting Ranma's attention." She   
spun around and Sansha just now noticed that her   
hair was arranged carefully in loose curls with a   
bit pulled back from either side of her face.  
"You look nice."  
Akane smiled, "Thanks, I tried to pay attention   
when you did it for that night out with Ranma. It   
took me a lot longer than it did you, though."  
Sansha, still half asleep, finally blinked and   
gasped in comprehension. With a gleam in her eyes   
she grabbed the brown mascara and a sheer pink   
lipstick.  
  
Akane studied her reflection carefully. "I   
don't know, you can barely tell a difference."  
Sansha giggled, "But Akane, that eez zee point!"  
Akane turned a disbelieving eye to meet her   
friend's eyes in the mirror. "I don't quite follow   
you."  
Another giggle, "Akane, if you went miraculously   
from tomboy to supermodel overnight, people would   
notice. However, if you wear just enough natural   
looking make-up to enhance what is really you,   
you'll just look like a natural beauty."  
Akane looked skeptical, but shrugged. "If you   
say so; but I'm really getting hungry."  
Sansha saw the girl stand and shook her head.   
"Not quite yet."  
Akane followed her friends gaze and blinked down   
in confusion. She glared down at her school   
uniform. "I suppose I should change, since this   
ruins the effect."  
  
Ranma left his room after his morning ritual of   
work out and bath. He went downstairs and into the   
dining room to his usual seat. Soun was reading the   
paper and Ranma smirked in triumph. He'd had to   
wait for Soun to finish with the paper everyday for   
weeks. Finally, he'd given in and ordered a second   
one to be delivered each morning.  
Ranma picked up his copy and turned to the   
business section. He read the parts that were most   
relevant to his own business ventures before putting   
the paper aside to eat the food Kasumi was placing   
in front of him.  
"Thank you, Kasumi."  
She smiled and bustled back to the kitchen as   
the door to the hallway opened up. Ranma looked up   
to see which of his guests was finally waking up.   
He started to mutter a greeting, but froze.  
Akane was standing halfway through the door, one   
hand still on the frame. Her eyes caught him first;   
a playful, secretive gleam in them that called out   
to him. Her hair was curled slightly, exactly as it   
had been the night they went out. She was wearing a   
pale yellow silk blouse without sleeves and a crisp   
collar. She had two buttons undone, and wore the   
same gold chain she had the other night. She wore   
fine, tailored black slacks that were just tight   
enough to be alluring without appearing trashy, and   
black leather ankle boots.  
He swallowed as she smiled sweetly at him. She   
looked more mature than she usually did as she   
walked comfortably to her seat. As she sat down,   
she shot him another smile. She started to eat as   
he studied her. He couldn't place it, but something   
was definitely different about her. She was Akane,   
but she wasn't. He smiled.  
"Good morning, Akane. Did you sleep well? You   
look nice this morning."  
Her cheeks turned pink and she put down the   
glass she'd just sipped from. "Thank you, yes I did   
sleep well. And," she shot him a glance, "Thank   
you."  
He smiled as she continued to blush. "I believe   
your sister is up in her room. Kasumi says that   
she's already had breakfast, so we can head off as   
soon as you're done."  
She nodded and took another bite of her food.  
  
Nabiki was first out the door that morning as   
she and her sister were heading out to the drive   
where Ranma was waiting with the car. He was   
standing in the open driver's side door. He watched   
as Nabiki walked to the car and grabbed the   
passenger side handle. Their eyes met and he raised   
one eyebrow slightly. She smirked and climbed into   
the backseat. Ranma shook his head with a grin as   
Akane sprang down the steps. She smiled at Ranma   
and hopped into the front seat.  
Ranma grinned and sat down himself. He turned   
the car on and started to put it in gear when he   
paused.   
Turning to smile at the girls he said, "How   
about we put the top down?"  
Akane laughed but Nabiki just rolled her eyes.   
Ranma smirked and hit the switch. A few minutes   
later, they were zooming down the road with the top   
of the sportscar down. They pulled into the school   
gates a little bit later. Ranma shut the car off   
and jumped across the hood to open the door for the   
girls.  
Akane shot him another alluring smile and he   
shook his head slightly to clear it as she started   
waling toward the school. Nabiki gave his   
expression a quick look before chuckling and   
following her younger sister. Ranma slammed the   
door and followed after them, locking the doors with   
the keychain remote over his shoulder as he schooled   
his expression and caught up with them. He paused   
only slightly when he realized that he was angry.   
He blinked once. How could he be angry with himself   
for finding his fiancée a little attractive?  
Akane looked over her shoulder. When she caught   
his eyes she giggled a little and held back to grab   
his arm, "C'mon, silly, let's get this over with."  
He groaned mentally, okay, he found her very   
attractive. He followed the Tendo girls inside and   
they went through the formalities of withdrawing the   
two girls from the school. He spent the majority of   
the time standing back with his hands in his pockets   
and keeping a bored outward expression while he   
tried not to stare at Akane. He couldn't put a   
finger on the change. Sure, she was dressed   
differently and her hair was fixed, but that wasn't   
enough to explain his sudden notice of her.  
After a little paper signing and records   
exchanging, the girls were told that they could go   
up to their classrooms to gather any belongings   
there. Nabiki and Akane split off and Ranma   
followed Akane with a shrug. He kept his eyes on   
her, er, back until she knocked on her classroom   
door. His eyes jerked up as the teacher called for   
them to enter.  
Akane seemed a little puzzled by the female   
voice. Ranma thought it sounded like a typical   
woman's voice, but he didn't know what her teacher   
usually sounded like. Akane opened the door and   
stepped in to see a woman with long brown hair in a   
short yellow dress. The woman was standing at the   
desk with a frown of annoyance at her class being   
interrupted.  
"Yes, are you two new students? I haven't heard   
anything about getting two new students."  
Akane smiled and Ranma noticed that every boy in   
the class was drooling. A few of them even fainted.   
"Actually, I'm Akane Tendo. I withdrew a few   
minutes ago and I've been sent to get my stuff from   
my desk."  
The woman was glowing with barely-checked rage.   
"Are you some delinquent drop out?"  
Ranma's eyes narrowed as the woman started to   
reach for something. He noted that a few students   
cringed.  
Akane shook her head with a confused frown.   
"No, I'm going to have a tutor at home, now. Ranma   
here—"  
The woman's disbelieving eyes turned to Ranma.   
"You are a tutor? You can't even have finished high   
school yet!"  
Ranma was a world famous martial artist with   
millions of fans and dozens of rivals that were   
regularly making tries on his life. He'd survived   
on his own for years in the wild, in the streets,   
and in the clutches of the greatest crime boss on   
this side of the planet. He did not like the scorn   
in her voice, nor the way she said it while looking   
down her nose at him.  
He smirked.  
"Actually miss, I probably have more education   
than you do. I'm Ranma Soatome, also known as Ryo   
Tome." He snorted, "I was also known as another   
name, but I won't share that in front of the   
children. I have to my credit degrees in   
engineering and computer programming. However, I   
will not be the tutor for the Tendo sisters; I am   
merely paying for the tutor."  
The woman just stared blankly at him for a   
moment. Ranma used the break to gesture to a   
stunned Akane to go get her belongings. Before the   
teacher, he never did learn her name, could question   
him again Ranma and Akane were walking down the   
hallway. They met up with Nabiki, who was puzzled   
by the pair of them. They ignored her, however.  
  
Nabiki was waiting by the door for her sister   
and her fiancé. When the two of them came around   
the corner, Nabiki blinked. Ranma was genuinely   
laughing and Akane was giggling ecstatically as she   
hung off his arm. Akane threw back her head and   
gave a brilliant blast of laughter as Ranma smiled   
down at her with sparkling eyes.  
They laughed together once more before settling   
down as their eyes fell on Nabiki, her right eyebrow   
raised slightly. They shared a conspiring glance   
before erasing their expressions and calmly walking   
out to the car. Nabiki rolled her eyes and   
followed.  
  
Ranma and the two girls returned home after a   
little grocery shopping to help Kasumi make lunch.   
Nabiki expertly hinted that perhaps Ranma and Akane   
would like a light workout before lunch. Ranma was   
inwardly a little confused that Nabiki was so intent   
on sending her little sister away, but the two elder   
Tendo girls would easily be able to handle a little   
lunch for six, and he did want a little exercise.  
So Akane smiled and ran off to change. Ranma   
paused and shot Nabiki a questioning glance. She   
mouthed, "I'll explain later," and turned to chop   
vegetables. Ranma shrugged one shoulder and   
strolled up to his room to change. He went into his   
rather large closet and grabbed the a set of Chinese   
clothes he found and stripped. He had his pants on   
when his bedroom door flew open.  
"Ranma, I—"  
She stopped and stared at him. He was   
tightening the drawstring of his pants and didn't   
have a shirt on. She turned bright red and took a   
step backward.  
Ranma exhaled slowly through teeth that were   
grinding in an attempt to reign in his emotions.   
Her hair was in its usual loose ponytail, the curled   
ends making the dark strands harder to restrain, so   
a few locks had fallen loose to curl around her   
face. He couldn't help but notice that her gi's top   
was gaping open just enough to make him want to peek   
like a naïve little boy. He fought to keep from   
frowning at his own odd behavior and smiled at her.  
"Perfect timing, Akane, c'mon in."   
She looked up hesitantly as he slipped the shirt   
on, leaving it unfastened. She took a cautious step   
into the room and closed the door. She gave a   
small, strained smile and he wanted nothing more at   
the moment than to walk over and kiss her until she   
couldn't not smile.  
Instead, he kept his smile on and walked over to   
her. He gave his cocky half-smile and he was   
secretly amused that she seemed unable to draw her   
eyes from his bare chest. He kept walking closer   
until she looked ready to bolt. At that exact point   
he stopped and studied her face for a moment.  
"You know, I wasn't kidding this morning. You   
look absolutely stunning today. Not to say that you   
usually don't." He paused and cocked his head.   
"Actually, I would say that you usually look more   
'cute' than anything; especially when you smile."  
She blushed and looked away, "Oh, I just wore a   
little make-up today, that's all."  
He smiled and held a finger to her cheek.   
"Well, you should do it every day. It really   
emphasizes your wonderful features. Just don't do   
what most girls do and cake on layers of bright   
colors that just hide their faces."  
She blushed again and Ranma was charmed. She   
smiled and glanced quickly to him and away. "Thank   
you, Ranma."  
He nodded his head and caressed her cheek before   
drawing his hand away. "No problem. You know,   
you're so different from most of the women I've   
known."  
She looked up questioningly and he sighed. "I   
suppose you want to hear all about it, don't you?   
All women are alike in a few ways I suppose. Well,   
have a seat." He gestured to the couch that was   
against one wall. She giggled and ran over to it.   
She leaned against one armrest and pulled her legs   
beneath her.  
He smiled at her and sat next to her. "Well,   
take Lilly for example. She was one of my trainers   
when I went to work for Chad. She was supposed to   
teach me how to shoot. I told Chad that I hadn't   
used guns very much so he assumed that I didn't know   
how to shoot. So when I showed up to my first day   
of job training, in walked Lilly with a few big guys   
following her with big crates of guns. She told me   
to pick one and fire at a target."  
Akane giggled at his smirk. "How'd you do?"  
"Well, Nishiguchi's men had made sure I was an   
excellent shot. I just prefer fists or daggers to   
guns so I never use them. So I picked some handgun   
that looked just like the ones I was used to (I have   
no idea what it's called) and after a score of   
perfect bull's eyes, she got miffed and tried me at   
some moving targets. Of course, a hitman is no good   
if he can't pick off a moving target so I got those   
too. I eventually explained everything to her, and   
we became friends."  
Akane laughed as she pictured Lilly glaring at a   
big red and white target with a hole in the exact   
center. "Who else do you know?"  
He smiled and decided he should humor her more   
often if she would laugh like that. "Well, there   
are dozens of beautiful women with too perfect   
figures, painted faces, and a doze plastic surgeons   
in their address books. When I was around twelve of   
course I loved beautiful older women flinging   
themselves at me. After awhile though, you get so   
used to outward beauty concealing women so stupid   
that they can't hold a conversation, or even worse."  
She frowned and grabbed a throw pillow to hug to   
her chest. "What do you mean, 'worse'?"  
He waved a hand and stretched his legs out in   
front of him; his body angled toward Akane and his   
legs crossed at the ankles. "Well, when I was   
almost fourteen this beauty I met at a club came on   
pretty strong. Things were getting pretty heated   
when she pulled a knife on me."  
Akane reached out a comforting hand at his   
obviously pained expression. "I'm sorry Ranma, you   
don't have to tell me these things if you don't want   
to."  
"Oh, it's okay. It just taught me to look for   
more in a woman than a pretty face." He turned and   
scanned her up and down once quickly, "Of course,   
that helps."  
She looked down at herself, her sad expression   
searching for whatever flaw he apparently saw.   
"Ranma, am I ugly?"  
Ranma blinked and asked in a startled tone,   
"What ever made you ask that?"  
"Well, you're a lot wiser about the world than   
the stupid little boys in Nerima. What do they   
know? Just because a few of them have a little   
crush on me—"  
He held up a hand and she stopped. He smiled   
and shook his head before reaching out and grabbing   
her hand. He looked deeply into her eyes and said   
softly, "Akane, you are pretty. In a couple of   
years you're going to be a knockout. You're   
different than the girls I've had previous   
relationships with, but you're also a few years   
younger than most of them. But, you have things   
they never did."  
She looked a little unsure about whether or not   
she should believe him. "Like what?"  
He smirked, "Well, first of all, you have a   
personality. When you walk into a room, you get a   
glance because you're pretty. But then the eyes   
stay on you because you have a fire of life in you."  
He froze and leaned toward her with concern   
troubling his eyes when he noticed her eyes   
sparkling with tears.  
"Oh, Ranma, that's the sweetest thing I've ever   
heard!"  
She threw herself at him and flung her arms   
around his neck. He turned his head slowly in   
confusion to study her ear as she cried softly into   
his shoulder. He wondered how he managed to go from   
a friendly chat with his student/friend to having a   
pretty young girl wrapping her arms around him and   
sitting on his lap.  
He cleared his throat and gently put his arms   
around her. "Uh, are you okay?"  
She pulled back to look into his eyes, but kept   
her hands clasped loosely behind his neck. "Ranma,   
I've never been happier. Do you really mean it?"  
"Well, yeah."  
She sighed, "That was so beautiful."  
"What, that? You should hear me when I'm trying   
to be poetic."  
She giggled and then froze. She blushed   
slightly, and tried to pull away. However, he had   
different ideas and leaned forward for a kiss. She   
was startled at first, but gave in with very little   
encouragement.  
It was several moments later that they came up   
for air. She had a very dazed expression and she   
melted against his chest. "Ranma, do you like me?"  
He snorted, "I kissed you, didn't I?"  
"No, I mean do you like me." She looked up at   
him with an expression so blank that Ranma could   
have learned from it.  
Ranma sighed and gently pressed her head back to   
his chest where he began to stroke her hair.   
"Akane, I don't know if I want to marry you, but I   
would love it if you would continue to go out on a   
few dates with me."  
He felt her tense slightly and was afraid that   
he'd said something wrong. Then she looked back up   
at him again with tears.  
"Ranma, you don't have to do that. I'm not   
going to be insulted if you want to dump my family   
back off on our front stoop as soon as it's safe.   
You've done more than you needed to already. But I   
will not let you lead me on. If you think I'm   
beneath you or just plain don't want to date me,   
please tell me."   
She pulled back a little from him, but he didn't   
let her go. "Akane, I'm not exactly sure what it is   
about you, but you're the most interesting person   
I've ever met. I would be honored to take you out   
again."  
After another kiss and a few soft words, they   
split and went downstairs for lunch.  
  
Nabiki dressed quickly the next day and padded   
barefoot down the hall to the room that had been   
designated the new school room. She stretched her   
arms over her head and walked in to find Akane   
sitting at a table with schoolbooks in front of her.   
Akane had a dazed but happy expression as she stared   
at the globe in front of her.  
"Hey, sis, what's up?"  
Akane looked up, "Oh, not much, but Ranma and I   
are going out again tomorrow night."  
"That's nice." Akane and Nabiki both looked up   
to see a smiling Saya in the doorway. "I'm glad you   
two are getting along well. Ranma's always been   
like a son to me, and I'm happy that he's found   
someone he can enjoy being with."   
Akane didn't seem to thrilled to hear that she   
had the other woman's blessing, which Nabiki filed   
away. In the mean time, she mentally prepared the   
perfect wording to a sentence that she then sent   
toward her new tutor.  
"I'm sure that Ranma's mother would be glad to   
hear that."   
Saya blinked, and then looked quite sincerely   
sad. "I know I could never be a true substitute for   
his late mother, but I tried to be a good influence   
on him."  
Now Nabiki was a little confused, but she didn't   
show it. "Why, whatever do you mean? Mrs. Soatome   
is still quite living."  
Saya froze and turned her tense face slowly to   
study the middle Tendo daughter. "I think you need   
to explain."  
Akane stood and her chair went flying from her   
sudden movement. "Wait a second, you mean Ranma   
hasn't even talked to his Mom this whole time he's   
been holed up here in the house hiding from Jaxom?"  
Saya blinked and looked extra flustered. "Ranma   
told me years ago that his mother was dead!"  
Nabiki shook her head. "No, Daddy and Auntie   
Nodoka have talked a few times over the years since   
they found out that Genma—well, you know."  
Saya bit her cheek and studied Nabiki for a   
moment. "I think we need to have a long talk with   
Ranma."  
  
Ranma stared blankly at Soun's face for a long   
moment. "My mother is . . . alive?"  
Soun nodded gravely, "Yes, my boy, I would have   
told you earlier except that, well, I assumed that   
you knew."  
Ranma reached into his desk drawer and pulled   
out a pad of paper and a pen. "Do you know her   
address?"  
He scribbled a few precious lines before running   
to the front door. He had his hand on the knob when   
he looked down at himself. He'd been working out   
when Saya had knocked on the dojo door. He was   
mussed and sweaty. He wanted to see his mother, but   
he wanted to make a good impression even more. He   
was running upstairs to his room before he could   
form a single other word or thought.   
He flung open his closet door and ran a questing   
hand down each rack. He heard a knock on the hall   
door and answered without thought. A moment later,   
Akane poked her head into the closet door.  
"Ranma, what are you doing?"  
"Making a good impression, that's what, is a   
suit too much? No, it will show that I've grown up   
and that I'm mature, I think."   
A moment later, Akane was rushing from the room   
with a bright red face. Only then did he realize   
that he'd started undressing in front of her. He   
shrugged and slipped into a navy pinstriped suit   
that he particularly liked. He grabbed a red rose   
from the arrangement in the front hall and tucked it   
into his lapel. Then he grabbed the rest and tied a   
piece of stray twine around the stems.  
The next thing he knew, he was pulling up to a   
small house. He got out of the convertible and   
clutched the bouquet tightly. He started walking to   
the door but paused and looked to the corner of the   
house just before a pretty woman in a kimono walked   
around it with a basket of fresh vegetables. She   
was humming and looked up at him with a slight   
start.  
  
Nodoka scanned the garden once more for any   
stray vegetables that were ripe enough for picking.   
Seeing none, she grabbed the basket and straightened   
the sword strapped to her back. She began to hum   
softly to herself and made her way around to the   
front of the house. She turned the corner and was   
surprised to see a young man standing there with a   
large arrangement of beautiful roses.  
He was quite handsome, and dressed nicely in a   
tailored suit. His dark shades hid his eyes, but   
there was something very familiar about him . . .  
"Can I help you, young man?"  
He swallowed and turned to face her fully. He   
cocked his head as if studying her for something   
unknown. "I'm sorry, but are you Nodoka, Genma   
Soatome's widow?"  
Her throat tightened. She hadn't heard her   
husband's name in years. Her hands clenched around   
the handle of the basket. Numbly, she nodded, "Why   
yes, but I haven't heard that name in years. Can I   
ask what brings you here?"  
An exultant smile slowly spread across the young   
man's face and he took a halting step toward her.   
She nearly shrank back, but told herself that was   
silly. He reached up and took his shades off and   
she was surprised to see that he was crying. Then   
she noticed the deep blue of his eyes.  
He smiled so sweetly, "There are some who have   
called me the White Dragon, others have called me   
Ryo Tome, but you and father named me Ranma Soatome   
over sixteen years ago. Mother, I'm home."  
  
Within four hours, Nodoka had been told all   
about her son's life. Now he was comforting her,   
and she him, and they were crying their final tears.   
He pulled back and smiled lovingly into her face.  
"I always thought you were dead. I never had   
any reason to think otherwise—" She watched doubt,   
then anger cloud his expression. "That scoundrel   
must have known . . ."  
"Ranma, what do you mean?"  
He sighed, "Never mind, mother, I'll explain   
later. Now, how long will it take you to pack   
enough to last you a couple of days?"   
She blinked once, "What do you mean, son?"  
He smiled proudly, "Mother, you're moving in   
with me."  
She blinked, "Oh Ranma, I can't just yet. I   
have a dear old friend coming to see me tomorrow.   
Besides, I couldn't dare impose on you."   
Ranma glanced around the adequate, yet sparse   
accommodations. "Mother, this place is far beneath   
you. Trust me, I can more than afford one more   
houseguest."   
She cocked her head, "What do you mean, one   
more? Who is living with you, son?"  
He slapped his forehead, "Oh yeah! Apparently   
you know the Tendos?" She nodded mutely, so he   
continued, "Well I found out that Pop had engaged me   
to one of them, so they're staying with me. I can   
explain everything else later, but that's the basic   
story."  
"Oh, dear me, the whole family is staying with   
you?"  
"Yup, now c'mon, come live with me."  
She smiled and cupped his face with one of her   
hands. "My son, I have a few loose ends to tie up.   
Tomorrow evening I will come see your home. If I'm   
satisfied that you can afford for me to live with   
you, I'll come. Can you come pick me up at this   
time tomorrow evening?"  
He nodded, but wasn't happy. "Fine, but go   
ahead and have an overnight bag ready. Then I'll   
have some people sent over the next day to get all   
of your things. You can choose what you want to   
keep and throw away once it's all at my place. I   
want you safe at my place as soon as possible."  
She chuckled, "Oh, Ranma, it is so good to have   
you back."   
It was very late indeed when Ranma got into his   
car and drove back to his place.  
  
Nodoka had just finished packing her overnight   
bag the next morning when she heard a knock on the   
front door. She was humming happily as she took the   
bag with her. She dropped against the wall as she   
opened the door. A man with black hair and a silver   
streak smiled serenely at her.  
"Hello, Nodoka, it's been too long."  
She smiled, "Oh, Chad, it's only been a week.   
Come in, I have good news!"  
He followed her in and sat across the table from   
her. "That's nice, what's your news?"  
She smiled and turned to gather the tea   
implements. "I just learned that my son is alive   
and I'm going to see him again tonight! He just   
showed up last night without warning!"  
By the time she had turned to set those things   
on the table, he'd schooled his features into a   
suitably happy smile.  
  
Ranma showed up at his mother's house just after   
she'd eaten dinner. She'd let him in happily and   
excused herself to put up her dishes. He picked up   
her overnight bag and took it out to put in the   
trunk. By the time he made it back to the front   
door, she was opening it to come out and meet him.  
He smiled at her, recognizing her features from   
his own. She smiled sweetly up at him and started   
to open the passenger door. He grabbed her hand and   
smirked.  
"Not yet, mother, I want it to be a surprise."   
He pulled out a black blindfold and she laughingly   
allowed him to tie it snugly around her eyes. Then   
he carefully helped her into her seat. He didn't   
feel self-conscious driving so fast either if she   
couldn't see it.  
He made it back home quickly, smiling the whole   
time. As he parked, he saw a face disappear from a   
window. He ran around the car and helped his   
stumbling mother from the car. He turned her to   
face the house and prepared to take the blindfold   
off.  
"It's nothing compared to my bosses house, but   
I'm kinda proud of it." He removed the cloth with a   
flourish.  
  
Nabiki strolled into the parlor where the entire   
household was waiting. "They're here." She sat on   
the couch between Kasumi and her father. Akane and   
Sansha were on the other couch, with Marco sitting   
next to Saya on the loveseat. It was a few minutes   
before Ranma opened the parlor door.  
Nodoka Soatome was in a formal Kimono with a   
Katana strapped to her back. She was smiling up at   
her son and saying something about the house when   
she noticed the people in the room.  
"Oh, are all of these people your guests,   
Ranma?"  
He smiled and everyone stood to be introduced.   
"Well, I believe you know Mr. Tendo. These are his   
older daughters, Kasumi and Nabiki. Sansha and   
Loren Keller here are the children of an old friend   
of mine; and I'm training them right now. This is   
my childhood tutor, Saya Nishiguchi." The two women   
smiled and clasped hands, somehow feeling an instant   
kinship.  
Ranma turned and gestured for Akane to come   
over. She did slowly, blushing slightly when she   
realized what was coming. Ranma put an arm loosely   
around her waist and smiled at his mother.   
"This is Akane Tendo, my fiancée."  
Author's Notes:  
  
Whoo, what a relief. Okay, first off, I want to send my deepest thanks to everyone that reviewed/emailed me. I never expected such a response. I tried to email a few of you back, but I've been pretty swamped lately, and thought it would be a better use of my time to just buckle down and make a couple changes that were requested.  
  
I have more chapters up on my website, but I've been having problems withe insufficient bandwith lately, as I'm sure some of you know. They haven't been revised yet though. I went back in and tried to add some more in about the curse, without it looking like I was adding stuff in. Not easy, and this means I'm now even further behind on my homework, but what's a girl to do? Next line of business, rework the last couple of chapters. They'll be a lot more involved, cause that's where most of the plot is, but I've been wanting to do it for ages anyway.  
  
To those of you who've reviewed, thanks again! To everyone else, keep 'em coming!! 


	6. Darkness Looms

Ranma sighed and blew upward to get a strand of hair out of his eyes as he wondered to himself, 'Why me?"  
"Did you say something Ranma?"  
He smiled warmly at his mother, "No, mother, nothing."   
She smiled and turned back to face the dojo, scanning it once more before giving a decisive nod. She'd done this with the entirety of the house so far, and he'd been growing fairly bored steadily since the library. She turned and smiled at him, but her expression was confused and more than a little worried at the same time.   
"Ranma, son, how can you possibly afford such splendor?"  
He smiled and gave a casual shrug, "I already told you mother, I'm a trouble consultant for a very large international agency."  
Her smile only seemed a tiny bit more relieved as she nodded, "And your martial arts, obviously you've maintained your training. How profficient are you?"  
He shrugged but couldn't keep a smirk from his lips, "Well, the art has saved my life a few times. As soon as I've finished showing you around, I need to begin my daily training actually."  
He almost winced at the triumphant gleam that suddenly emerged in his mother's eyes, "Oh? My son, would you mind if I observed your training?"  
He did manage to contain a sigh, but just barely. With a small smile that was only marginally forced, he answered, "Whatever you wish, Mother."  
And so he dragged in his desk chair for his mother, carefully positioning it in an out of the way corner. She seemed a little disappointed in her out of the way spectator's position, but Ranma pointedly ignored her equally pointed look of disapproval. Now that his mother was carefully moved to a safe distance, he positioned himself in the middle of the room and began slowly warming up.  
Settling into static normalcy, he soon forgot that he had a witness at all. Sweeping gracefully between the exercises that he'd been performing at one difficulty level or another for years, he moved into a mental realm that he relished and looked forward to achieving every day. In a stressed out life such as his, any form of inner peace or relaxation was essential. He'd seen many of his peers fall to madness due to one facet or another of their jobs.  
As his workout drew to a close, instead of dreading going back out into the world, he looked expectantly to it as he always did. With a sigh he cracked his neck and slowly opened his eyes.  
To surprisingly meet his mother's watery gaze. She slowly rose to her feet and came forward to fold a startled Ranma into her now-damp embrace.   
"Oh my son, I hadn't dared to hope you could make me so proud. I find nothing in you lacking your oath."  
Oath?  
She looked up and smiled, "I release your from the bonds placed on your honor, my son, you are truly a man amongst men."  
He simply stared for a moment before blinking and asking, "Mother . . . what oath?"  
Her eye might have twitched if she'd been any less somber a person, "Pardon, my son?"  
"Er, what oath do you mean Mother? A man amongst men?"  
She closed her eyes and seemed to be calming herself even though she didn't appear upset outwardly. "Surely you know of the oath your father and you took when you left on the training journey? The two of you would commit seppuku if your father failed to make you a Man Amongst Men!"  
Ranma was more than a little confused. Why would his father make such a contract? Why would his mother accept? And why didn't anyone ever tell him about this?  
"But it is of no matter, Ranma. You are relieved of the oath." She stepped back and pulled the wrapped bundle from her back. He'd know what it was from the start, but it was still a little odd seeing his mother pull a katana from the roll of cloth. She held it out with a dramatically serious expression. "Ranma, this is the family blade. I give it to you now with the role of the head of our family. I know your father would be proud of you."  
  
Akane smiled at Nodoka as she passed the woman in the hallway. With a vague and distracted air about her, the woman gave a slight bow of her head and continued past Akane. Giving the woman an odd look before shrugging and continueing down the hallway to Ranma's door, Akane wondered where the woman's wrapped bundle was. This was the first time she'd seen Mrs. Soatome without it.  
With a confused shake of her head, Akane reached up and knocked on Ranma's door. She knew he was up, since it was beyond obvious that Nodoka had been visiting her son. When she didn't get an answer, Akane started to worry until it hit her that Ranma must be in the dojo. Pushing the door open, Akane glanced about quickly before going to the closed dojo door.  
Without knocking, since that would be a bigger distraction than merely walking in if Ranma was practicing, Akane opened the door and stepped into the dojo.  
Ranma's back was to her, a pile of cloth lying at his feet as he stared down at a sword.  
"Ranma? Are you ready for our workout?"  
Her expression grew puzzled when he failed to respond. Walking forward and around him, he completely ignored her. But when she slid directly in front of him he looked up with wide eyes that seemed . . . frightened.  
"Are you okay, Ranma?" she whispered.  
He nodded, "Akane, Mother just made me head of the family." He looked back down at the sword in his hands and only then did Akane recognize the cloth on the ground as the same strip that had been wrapped around the bundle Mrs. Soatome always carried. Somehow, Akane knew she should have known what the bundle was all along, but picturing the kind and gentle woman with a deadly weapon just seemed wrong.  
With a shake of his head, Ranma walked over to the back wall of the room, opposite the mirror, and pulled on the molding. Akane blinked owlishly at the large cabinet revealed as he calmly placed the Soatome blade on an empty rack that was, appropriately, near the very center.  
He pulled the cabinet closed and turne back to her, "Now, your workout . . ."  
Akane often felt she was getting to know this guy, and then he'd pull a mood swing that went so far over her head she felt like she'd fallen down some cliff. His demeanor through their workout was as friendly and competent as usual, leaving no trace of the confused and frightened young man from before. Akane tried to follow his example and pretend nothing had happened, but there were several occasions when she was so distracted that Ranma commented upon it.  
When they were finished, Akane hesitantly rested a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Ranma, if you want to talk about anything, you know I'd be more than happy to listen, right?"  
He gave a visual flinch of startlement and his eyes widened slightly as he stared down at her silently for a moment. After a long pause he smiled slowly and nodded, "Thanks Akane, that means a lot. I . . . haven't had many people offer something like that before. I'll see you at dinner, okay?"  
She smiled slightly and gave a nod before leaving the room, deeply troubled. Had the poor guy ever known what it was like to have friends? Was that why he always kept that cool demeanor, like armor, to prove that he was strong enough that he didn't need others? He knew how to act around people, but it was clear to Akane that he wasn't sure how to act with people.  
  
From the lighting and the utter lack of noise, she knew she was dreaming. She turned her head as she lay in bed and smiled at her love where he slept beside her. His young face smiling, confident even in sleep that he could handle anything. Something about this thought was bothersome, but she ignored it.   
His long hair was sprawled artfully over the pillow, loose very rarely, and still damp from his long soak. He worked so hard for one so young, the poor dear. Many would think her too old for him, but she knew he was the only one that knew her heart so well. He knew what she wanted, what she needed.  
And he could get it for her.  
She smiled, yes, with her love beside her, she would be comfortable and safe forever. She reached out to brush his cheek, crying out softly as she sat up in her real bed. Glancing about through her tears, she tried to discern the difference between her dream and reality. Her dreams had been fading so slowly lately.  
Reaching out she brushed the petal of the rose on the bedside table, watching in confusion as it slowly changed back and forth between gray and white.  
And she knew.  
Her love was forever beyond her grasp.  
  
"Good morning, Nabiki, Akane."  
"Good morning, Ms. Naomi," the girls chorused.   
Akane seethed inwardly. She absolutely could not stand this woman. Her bond with Ranma was beyond what it should be, in Akane's mind. How could Ranma be so close to a former teacher? She was more like a mother, or a lover . . .  
Akane frowned and jerked her head down to the test 'Ms. Naomi' had left for her on the table that served as Nabiki and her desk. Clearing her mind with some basic meditation (with some dificulty, as meditation wasn't Akane's strong suit), Akane set into the math problems with comendable determination.  
When she next looked up, Ms. Naomi was writing in her little planner where she kept track of assignments and grades. Standing, Akane walked over and placed the test down on her so-called teacher's desk.  
Turning on her heal, Akane went back to her desk and pulled out her History book, since she knew that's what they'd be going over as soon as Nabiki finished her slightly longer and harder math test. At Ranma and Nabiki's request, Akane's older sister was studying mostly mathematics applying to accounting, but also maintaining her love of calculus.  
Akane sent her sister a look of disbelief. How could someone honestly love math, let alone calculus?  
When the older girl stood and turned in her test, Ms. Naomi smiled and stood to begin yet another boring history lecture. Akane diligently took notes, but her heart clearly wasn't in it. Nor was she all that interested in the other lessons that day. By the time they were released for the day just in time for a late lunch, Akane had been fidgeting enough to earn several dirty looks from her teacher.  
Ms. Naomi excused them and left the room herself since she didn't need to gather anything except the two test papers. Akane gave a heaving sigh when the door clicked shut and began to gather her books and paraphanelia.  
"Akane, you seemed distracted today."  
Akane glanced at the door bit her cheek. If she couldn't trust her sister, who could she?  
"Nabiki? What do you think of Ms. Naomi?"  
"Her accounting isn't bad, but her calculus sucks."  
Akane gave her sister a dirty look and snatched up her pencil. "That's not what I mean, and you know it! Don't you think it's odd how she just showed up like that? I mean, where'd she come from? And why is she so close to Ranma? It doesn't seem very proffesional to me, and she's barely civil to us half the time!"  
Nabiki studied Akane's face for a long moment before walking over and cracking the door open slightly. After pausing and holding her breath, Nabiki walked back over and leaned very close to Akane.  
"Listen, I've been looking into her. I don't have much yet, but I found several suspicious items that I think are going to pan out. Be careful around her Akane. I'll let you know, okay?"  
Akane snapped her head over to meet her sister's gaze. She didn't like the woman, but surely Nabiki was exaggerating. "ARe you serious?"  
Nabiki just nodded before glancing around and grabbing her bag and leaving the room. Akane slowly gathered her own belongings before she too left the room. Slowly going down the hall to her room, Akane sighed. Why couldn't her life just be normal again?  
"Aw man!"  
Akane jerked her head up and saw a female Ranma glaring at the puddle around her feet, gazing around the large pile of books, folders, and papers in her arms. The vase, its floral contents now strewn about in a damp arc at Ranma's feet, rolled to a stop against the wall.  
Akane giggled and went to pick up the flowers. "Are you okay Ranma?"  
The redhead sighed and set the stack of paperwork down on the table that had formerly held a beautiful vase of flowers. He knelt and helped Akane gather the various varieties of flowers.   
"Yeah, but I don't think I'll ever get used to this." He/she gestured to the robust female figure.  
"I'm sure you'll manage, after all, you've made some pretty big adjustments in your life."  
She smiled up at her and stretched to snatch up the vase. Artlessly dumping his handful of flowers into it, he gently took Akane's load and did the same with hers. Standing, the two of them brushed their damp hands off on their clothing.  
"I'm gonna go change. I'll see you down at lunch Akane."  
She smiled and gave a cheerful nod as she reached down and grabbed her bag.  
"Oh, and thanks Akane!"  
She turned and waved at her retreating fiance as he disappeared around the corner. With a shake of her head she went down a couple more doors and into her room to drop off her bag. By the time she'd made it back downstairs, Nabiki's dire warning had completley left Akane's head.  
  
Nabiki frowned down at the printed sheets in her hands. Saya Naomi was now thirty-seven. A gifted orphan, she won a scholarship overseas. Graduating from college she began applying for jobs before even returning home to her native Japan. She obtained a position as a private tutor for a wealthy man's young son, even though she never actually applied for it. Apparently the man had somehow found out about her and offered her the job without ever speaking to her.  
She probably didn't know that the man was the most infamous mobster in Japan until after she had been there for some time. The boy grew, and was joined by another charge for Miss. Naomi. After the downfall of the Tokyo Roses, Miss. Naomi retreated to a small house that was on the verge of the slums. She lived alone, living off of what had been left with her by the authorities of her wages and occasional tidbits from Ranma.  
Then, she just shows up at Ranma's door.  
This was where things were confusing. Saya never left money in the bank. As soon as she paid for the house she was living in, she withdrew everything. There wasn't a single credit card in her name, the only property in her name was the house, and she hadn't filled out a single check since the fall of the Roses.  
Nabiki thought back and scanned through every image she could recall of the woman. Her house was in one of the worst neighborhoods, yet she wore designer clothing. She didn't have a dime in the bank, yet Ranma had sent her several thousand dollars and she'd been granted a hefty chunk of cash from her 'wages' from the Roses as well.  
Surely the woman could have gotten a better home with that amount of cash, and with her education she could teach just about anywhere she wanted. Why was she living in a hovel as an unemployed paper, all while dressing like she was high society. Did she rely that heavily on images that she spent all her money on clothing and material goods? They why live in her little rundown shack.  
Something wasn't adding up, and Nabiki definitely preferred it when things added up. Standing she gathered all her papers and stuffed them under her mattress. Maybe it wasn't original, but that was the only hiding place she had right now.  
She picked up her phone and hit one of the speed dials, waiting patiently for a dial tone.  
"Yes, it's me. I need an escort tonight, if you can get away from the base." She paused, "That will be fine. Thank you."  
He worked cheap, had a car, and her new soldier friend was intimidating enough that just about everyone tended to leave them alone. Besides, she didn't plan on getting out of the jeep.  
  
Chad frowned down at his desk, pondering the latest developments in the soap opera commonly referred to as Ranma Soatome. When his secretary buzzed him, he hit the button with a sigh.  
"Yes?"  
"Sir, Miss Ukyo is here."  
He frowned at the box as he answered, "Send her in." How could he have forgotten that he'd sent for her? Surely the stress wasn't getting to him that badly. So what if years of plans were crumbling before his eyes?  
Ukyo walked in and smiled as she took her seat, "Are you finally sending out again? I've been training extra hard, and--"  
"Not exactly." She hid the frown quickly, but it shouldn't have been evident at all. That was Ukyo's problem. Throw her in a brawl and there were few better. But put her into anything involving subtlety and she was lost.  
"There's a problem. Due to some issues, I had to keep some secrets from Ranma over the years. Now trust me Ukyo, I have good reasons, but it seems he found out about one that he shouldn't have."  
Ukyo frowned and leaned forward slightly, hurt and curiosity warring on her features. Suddenly it dawned on her face and anger won out.  
"You jerk!! You knew about Ranchan's mom!" She lept to her feet and thrust an accusing finger at him.  
He held a hand up, "Yes, but I witheld the information for a reason. Before Ranma and his father left all those years back, Genma made a pact with his wife. If his son didn't grow up to be, and I quote, 'A man amongst men', father and son would commit seppuku." He looked her straight in the eye and continued, "He was the top hitman for the most powerful mobster in Japan for years Ukyo. What if his mother finds out about that?"  
Ukyo fell back into her seat and stared dumbly at her boss. "You're serious. How did you know?"  
"The first thing I did when I found out was go talk to the woman. A few well placed questions and she was eager to discuss her missing son. Then she told me about the pact, as an afterthought, glad she'd never have to worry about that and all the while 'knowing' her son would have grown up to be marvelously manly."  
Ukyo shook her head sadly, "Poor Ranma. But, she's living with him now. If she finds out . . ."  
"I doubt he'll bring it up. He'll want to impress his mother, not turn her away. But his houseguests all know. If one of them makes an offhand comment, Ranma's as good as lost to us all."  
Ukyo studied the hurt on his face and he knew that she was thinking of how he'd saved Ranma from a horrible fate. He felt her heart reaching out to him and smiled sadly at her.  
"That's where you come in, Ukyo. I'm going to suggest a plan to Ranma, one he can't turn down, and I'll need your help. You're going on permanent baby-sitting status until further notice."  
SHe grimaced, then sighed. "Well, if it's for Ranma . . ."  
He nodded, "It is."  
  
"You're sending them away? But there are still several of Jaxom's men missing. They could be anywhere!"  
Chad held up a hand and set his tea down on the coffee table. "Yes, but they won't be unprotected. I'm going to send Ukyo to live with them. She'll even enroll in the same school as Akane and Nabiki, as Akane is seen as the biggest bait at the moment. She's still only sixteen you know, no matter if she did get all the same basic schooling you did."  
Ranma frowned and leaned back in his chair, "I still don't like it."  
Chad groaned and rolled his eyes, "For heaven's sake Ranma. It's easier this way. They can't hit both places at once! And it would be much easier for you to concentrate on guarding your mother and Saya then trying to follow the entire Tendo family around. And don't forget your students."  
Ranma's eyes glinted at the slight mistake of wording Chad had let slip through. "Ah, but Akane's my student too. What about that?"  
Chad rolled his eyes again, "Let her work with Ukyo for awhile. And you can still drop by every so often. I don't think it should take more than another month or two for me to work everything out."  
Ranma sighed, "Fine, but you're breaking the news to Akane. She's still got all that hero worship stuff."  
Chad smirked as he glanced at his watch, "I'm not sure that's what I'd call it. And as much as I'd like to make your life easy, I have to be leaving. I'm already late."  
Ranma put a hand on Chad's shoulder and pushed down, "I don't think so." Chad looked up with a smile, but quickly lost it when he saw the hurt on Ranma's face. "You knew about my mom, didn't you Chad?"  
Chad blinked and stood, Ranma's small amount of pressure giving way as soon as his boss attempted to move. "Ranma, I did, I won't lie to you. But you have to believe me when I say I had my reasons. Lots of them. And they're good ones. One day soon, when this whole Jaxom mess is over, I'll tell you everything."  
Ranma nodded after a brief pause, "Alright, I'll take your word for it. Chad, I . . . I want you to know that, well, you mean a lot to me. You're more than my boss, and more than a friend. You're like, I don't know, a big brother. Well," he smirked, "maybe more of a father."  
Chad nodded slowly, "And you're like a son to me. Don't forget that Ranma."  
Ranma nodded and smiled as Chad picked up his briefcase and left the room. He listened to his mentor/friend/father figure open and close the front door before driving away. He closed his eyes and tried to picture his real father, but for some reason all he could ever dig up was the image of his bleeding father as the man slipped forever away.  
He heard the door open again sometime later and turned to see his mother and Kasumi entering the building through the open doors of the parlor. Maybe he didn't have his father anymore, but he had family. He smiled, liking the sound of it, since it was something he'd never thought he'd have.  
  
"And so the Tendos can go home again. A friend of mine will be staying with you as an added precaution, but it's pretty much redundant at this point." Ranma shrugged, trying to downplay the danger factor. "We're running out of bad info, and Chad wouldn't be sending you into danger."  
"What about school?"  
Ranma smiled, "You can return to your old school if you want, or I could keep Saya for you if you want. I'm sure she wouldn't mind." He turned to the woman, and she smiled softly up at him from her seat at the dining room table.  
Akane gave him a bright smile, "That's alright Ranma, I miss my friends at school. Besides, we wouldn't want to impose, would we Nabiki?"  
"Of course not." Nabiki's tone was as blase as ever.  
"And of course, Nabiki, if you are still willing, I'm more than satisfied with how you've been handling my money. If you want, I'd love for you to continue--"  
"I'd love to!"  
Everyone stared at Nabiki as she practically drooled. Akane rolled her eyes and looked sadly at Ranma, "But, what about my training?"  
Ranma smiled at her, "Well, I thought it would actually be better for you to get a variety of training for a bit, so this will work with us! It should only take a month or two for this whole mess to be worked out, then you and I can take up where we left off. Until then, you can work with Ukyo."  
Akane blinked, "Ukyo? Isn't that your friend we met at the Dragon's Den?"  
He nodded, "Yup! Ucchan and I have been friends since we were kids. And she's a great martial artist, I'm sure you'll be able to learn lots from her until we can take up again. And I can come by every so often too."  
Akane smiled. If he would still be coming by, it wouldn't me too bad.   
And she had been missing her friends from school.  
So a few more questions were asked and everyone settled back into another delicious Kasumi meal. Ranma smiled, he'd miss the crowded house, but he knew he'd still have people that were special to him living at the Tendos. Besides, his mother would still be here, as well as Sascha and Marco. And maybe Saya, if she didn't like the job offer he had for her later that evening. He wanted to surprise her with it later on, in private.  
And so, when everyone was filing out of the room, he briefly laid a hand on his old teacher's shoulder.  
"Saya, could you have a little chat with me in my office? I have some paperwork to do, but I wanted to talk to you too."  
She smiled and gave a nod, following him upstairs and down the hall to his office. He offered her a chair, and then took his. He pulled out his paperwork and began to methodically fill it out more by habit then anything.  
"Saya, I have a friend that needs someone with your capabilities. I don't want you to think I'm pushing you away or anything, and I want you to know that you're always welcome here, but I thought you might be interested. He's willing to pay you even more than I've been giving you, and he's only got two young boys."  
He smiled and looked up to see the curious expression on her face, "I know you meant a lot to me when I was a little boy, and I thought you might like this. He's already willing to take you on, if you're willing. But it's all up to you."  
She smiled, "Of course Ranma! I wouldn't wish to intrude upon your home like some freeloader."  
He frowned, hurt, "That's not it Saya! Really it isn't. It's just that I thought you might enjoy the job, that's all. You can visit as often as you like, you know I'd love that."  
They had a long chat about it, and after he felt sure she didn't think he was pushing her away, she agreed to take the job. The man lived in Tokyo, and it wasn't far at all. Actually, it was still walking distance, and even closer to the Tendo's dojo. After Saya left, Ranma smiled and looked down at his finished paperwork with a satisfied smile. Everything was going right in his life for once.  
  
The moonlight bleached the hair mingled on the pillow to a tangled mass of lavender, silver, and blue-gray. Jaxom rolled over in his sleep, pulling away from a slender female form. She reached out, waking up and frowning at the loss of his warmth. Then she really woke up, this time with a snarl.  
Everything was going wrong! All the plans, all the trouble, for nothing! No matter what, that cursed Soatome always won! Well, this time the plans wouldn't fail. Because they weren't dependant on that horrid Soatome. And they didn't even involve his fiancee! Oh no, this time there was a new victim, and a new goal.  
  
"Ryoga?" He groaned and tried to hide quickly. Why wouldn't she just leave him alone? So what if he saved her just once in a battle? You'd think she'd never been saved at all before!  
"Airen, hiding is useless! Aha! Shampoo see you!"  
He yelped and took off running, not really caring where he ended up this time. As long as the clingy amazon didn't find him again, Ryoga would relish any destination.  
  
Akane stared at her bedroom, feeling out of place. The brief time she'd lived at Ranma's shouldn't have weighed so heavily against her family's home, but it did. She felt like a stranger. If she could entirely redecorate that instant, she would.   
With a sigh, she tossed one of her bags onto the bed to begin unpacking.  
  
With a relieved sigh, Kasumi settled onto her bed. She was finished unpacking, and she really should start setting the house to rights after their extended absence, but it felt so good to be home! She had nothing against Ranma's home, but honestly it just wasn't where Kasumi belonged.   
No, she was at home here, where her sole purpose in life was to care for her family.  
  
Nabiki grimaced at her tiny closet of a room. After handling large sums of money and staying at Ranma's mansion, Nabiki had almost fooled herself into thinking she'd made it big. And here she was again, stuck in this little box conveniently labled hers.  
With a sigh she unpacked her meager belongings, knowing it couldn't get worse.  
  
A/N:  
Ta da! Okay, so it's a little shorter than usual, sue me! It's still pretty long compared to a lot of authors. I guess I just ramble. I'm rewriting the final chapters because I thought there were lots of holes in them before, and the public seemed to agree.   
  
So anyhoo. Shampoo and Ryoga? And who's the menace on the horizon with all the dreams about sleeping? What does Chad know about Ranma and his mother that he isn't telling? What's going to happen between Ranma and Akane? Poor Nabiki. Yea for Kasumi!  
  
Next time: Who knows? Actually, a little more will be revealed about who the bad guy actually is. I'm not sure how many more chapters there will be. Probably just one and an epilogue, but it depends on how much I ramble.  
  
Stay tuned!! 


	7. Bonds Broken

He readjusted Marco's footing, then moved to the boy's sister. Three redheads moved through the mirrors in Ranma's dojo. He was getting used to being a she in the privacy of his home, but he wasn't sure he'd ever get used to the Mam This and Miss That he got whenever he was a femalein public.  
  
AS the twins wound their training to a close, Ranma smiled and waved to the door. "Alright, you're free to go for the day. I'll see you two later."  
  
Marco trotted off with a wave, but Sascha smiled secretly at him as she played with her long braid, "Ranma? I am going to veesit with Akane tonight. Perhaps you vould like to see tha movie with us?"  
  
He smiled, and was about to say yes, when he remembered that Saya would be visiting that evening.  
  
"I'm sorry Sascha. I'd love to, but Saya is coming to see me this evening. Maybe next time?"  
  
The girl's face fell and her hand froze on the braid. After a heartbeat, she nodded and walked out of the room. Ranma turned to the mirror, studying his reflection for a long moment before heading off to take his bath.  
  
Akane laughed and beamed at her friend, "Thanks Sascha! Really, I've been so depressed lately, it's great to get out again."  
  
The redhead grinned back and poked Akane in the ribs, "Of course you ave been depressed! Your love is no longer with you at all times!"  
  
"Honestly Sascha! I think Love might be a bit strong." She held her hands up defensively, "I'll admit I like Ranma. A lot. But the engagement is arranged, and he hasn't dreamed of me for years like I have. I'm not holding my breath."  
  
The other girl shook her head sadly, "Ee really did want to come. Eef only that wretched Naomi woman were not around."  
  
"You too?" Akane smiled slightly in relief, "I thought it was just me."  
  
"Oh no! Marco and I are very glad we do not recquire schooling ere in Japan. We do not have to be around that . . . woman as much as you and Nabiki."  
  
"Well," she muttered, as they made their way back to the dojo after the movie, "I don't have to see her anymore. I'm back in school. But I don't like her spending so much time with him."  
  
They continued on in silent thought for some time, then Akane's head came up and the girls shared a puzzled glance before the world tipped. Suddenly there were men everywhere, and Akane was pulled away from Sascha by one of them. He had one arm around her neck, and the other held a gun to her head.  
  
"come quietly, Soatome, and we'll let the girl go!"  
  
Sascha turned instinctively to the voice, too stunned to do otherwise, and blinked when she realized all eyes were on her. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Don't play dumb! We know about your . . . curse. Now agree to come with us and we'll let the girl go!"  
  
Akane yelled out a brief "No!" before the man clamped a hand over her mouth.   
  
The man continued smugly, "We weren't even after you in particular. Not yet. But you made it to easy! Apparently the White dragon is slipping. Now, will you come with us, or does the girl die?"  
  
Sascha flinched as the man pulled the hammer back on the gun. Turning back to the spokesman, she nodded slowly. "I vill come."  
  
The man simply smiled as others stepped forward with chains and ropes.  
  
Still bitter about her sudden drop in housing, Nabiki shut her bedroom door and pulled out her desk chair to start her homework. Sighing, she rested her chin in her hand as she leaned onto the desk. Everything just seemed off now, and she'd been home for a day now! Since she'd left for school that morning, she'd felt strange, like something wasn't quite right.   
  
Had she really adjusted so easily to Ranma's plans for Nabiki and her family?  
  
Sitting up she leaned over and began digging through her bag for the books she'd need. As she sat up, her eyes fell on a photo of the Tendos, Ranma, his mother, and the twins. It wasn't the picture that caught her eye, though.   
  
She opened her mouth to scream, but the man was right behind her with the dagger already aloft. He'd already brought the hilt down on her skull before she'd finished gathering her breath.  
  
He smiled at her like he always did. That confident, powerfull smile she knew and loved. Unlike the last times though, she already knew. He'd been taken from her. This was a dream, a memory. Nothing more, nothing less.  
  
She knew he was gone, but she could enjoy that smile until she woke up. She didn't want him to go away, but she knew there was something important waiting for her when she did manage to shake herself out of her rest. Whatever it was could wait, though. For now, she had her beloved once more.  
  
Sascha awoke with a screach as the scalding water exploded against her back. Gasping through the pain she struggled to move away, eyes darting around in search of her attacker. Her arms weren't moving at all, and her legs had only a hand's length or so of freedom at her ankles.   
  
AS it slowly came back to her, her frantic noises of fear faded away. Akane, the movie. They'd been on their way home when they were attacked in the dark. Ah, she thought. She'd braided her red hair. The thugs had mistaken her for Ranma's female form.  
  
That explained the hot water.  
  
A man's voice snarled behind her, "Why didn't it work? Does it take time?"  
  
She turned just as a second man answered, "I dont' know! You're the one the boss talked to."  
  
She was in some sort of barred cell, like in the movies. But the bars here were barely four inches apart, and there was a set of horizontal ones as well as the typical vertical ones. The other three walls were plated in some rusted metal and bolted in place. She wasn't going anywhere.  
  
The first man sighed and waved off somewhere that she couldn't see, "Go get the boss. I'll watch Soatome."  
  
"You sure? He's supposed to be tough."  
  
The first one laughed and gestured at the cowering redhead, "Does it look tough to you?"  
  
Sanscha glared at the insult, but the man just laughed again. With a shrug, the second man walked out of her line of sight. Deciding time was of the essence, she remained silent and slipped back into the shadows. The longer they went without knowing who she was, the better. It gave her a better chance of survival until someone could come help her.  
  
Sanscha was not a fool. She knew what her family did, and she knew Ranma worked for Chad too. They were good at what they did, and this was right up their alley. If she could stay alive long enough, they would rescue her.  
  
She waited silently, keeping her eyes on her guard as she huddled in the shadows. A few minutes later, she heard a door open off in the direction the second man had gone. When the guard came back into her sight, she was surprised to see he and another man were supporting Nabiki's unconcious weight. She gasped and started to move forward, but froze and retreated back into the corner.  
  
The first man frowned, "I thought you were getting the boss."  
  
He rolled his eyes and warily eyed Sanscha as they messed with the locks and chains holding the barred walls in place. "I was, but he got the other girl! I'm just helping him out with her, and then I'll get the boss. Geez."  
  
"Whatever, jsut make it quick."  
  
While Two messed with Nabiki and the doors, One and Three held their guns pointed at Sanscha where she huddled in the corner. She sighed mentally and waited patiently till they had dumped Nabiki inside and hastily locked the doors securely back in place. As Two and Three wandered off with comments about getting the boss and getting to their posts, Sansha quickly leapt forward and dragged Nabiki back into the shadows she'd been huddling in.  
  
Nabiki moaned and began to stir, so Sansha held a finger to the girl's lips. "Shh, eet's me Nabiki." Her voice dropped to the slightest whisper and she held her mouth next to Nabiki's ear, "Quiet, zey think I'm Ranma. Don't say ozerwise, or who knows what they'll do. Got eet?"  
  
Nabiki's eyes opened and studied her for awhile. With a slow nod, Nabiki winced and gave a pained groan. Sascha glanced up at her guard as he eyed her warily, then prepared herself for an undetermined stay. Stroking Nabiki's hair, she tried to ignore her own pains until help arrived.  
  
Kasumi hummed to herself as she set out a futon beside Akane's bed. Sanscha would be spending the night with the Tendos, and Kasumi couldn't help but feel happy for her little sister. The poor dear had taken so many disasters in her life, it was nice she'd found a close friend.  
  
She was just stepping into the hall when she heard the front door open. Smiling, she started down the stairs when she heard a strange thud. Her expression turning curious, she quickened her pace slightly and gasped when the door came into view. Akane, her face and neck bruising rather elaborately, was struggling to her feet, apparently after taking a fall.  
  
  
  
"Akane! What happened?"  
  
Kasumi rushed forward to help her sister to her feet.  
  
"Kasumi," she forced out, "Call Ranma . . they took Sanscha."  
  
"Oh My! Here, let me help you to--"  
  
"No! They took her, they thought she was Ranma. Hurry, call him . . ."  
  
"Oh! Yes, but you sit here, don't move!"  
  
She turned and ran to the phone, dialing Ranma's number as quickly as she could. When Saya answered in a tired voice, Kasumi smiled in relief.  
  
"Thank goodness! Miss Naomi, please, I need to speak to Ranma! It's an emergency."  
  
"Oh? Oh. I'm afraid he's not here. I'm not sure where he is. He left before I lied down for a nap."  
  
"Oh no! Please, if he comes back, tell him there's an emergency!"  
  
"What's wrong Kasumi? Maybe I can help."  
  
Kasumi glance in the direction of her gasping sister, "I don't believe so. Someone has taken Miss Sanscha!"  
  
There was a long pause before Saya blurted, "What? Why would someone take Sanscha?"  
  
"I don't know! Akane said something about the men thinking she was Ranma. Please, if he comes back, have him call us!"  
  
"Of course, dear. Don't worry, everything will be fine."  
  
Kasumi certainly hoped so.  
  
Ranma shoved the bag of groceries into the passenger seat as he sat down. Buckling in, he wondered why Saya'd had the sudden urge to cook for him. He would have been happy with take-out, since his mother was going through her things at her own home to get everything else she wanted before officially moving in with Ranma. But no, Saya had decided she would love nothing more than to make him dinner.   
  
He glared down at the steering wheel, jabbing the button to move the seat backward. He'd left the house shortly after being splashed by the sprinkler system. Saya had laughed at him, and he'd been so happy to see her actually enjoying herself that he didn't have the heart to go back into the house. He had gotten enough hot water from the store to change back just before getting back in his car though, and his taller male frame didn't quite fit after moving the seat forward so his female half could drive.  
  
He pulled into the street and glanced down the street that led to the theatre he Knew Akane always went to. He figured the movie should just about be letting out, and wondered if he should offer her a ride home. The problem was that he wasn't sure if he could fit Sanscha, Akane, and the groceries into his car.  
  
Besides, he thought to himself, I don't want the girls thinking I'm checking up on them. They're awful proud, and they'd probably just beat me up.  
  
He took his hand away from the turn signal and took the road straight toward his house. He was almost there when his cell phone began buzzing angrily at him. Pulling it from his pocket, he thumbed it onto speaker phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
*Thank Goodness! I had to ask Akane for your cell phone's number!*  
  
Ranma frowned, "Kasumi? Are you alright?"  
  
*Im fine, but Ranma, come to the dojo quickly!*  
  
He immediately made a turn and pressed harder on the gas, "Tell me what's going on, Kasumi!"  
  
*Akane and Sanscha were attacked after the movie. They hurt Akane, and took Sanscha! Akane says they thought the poor girl was your female form!"  
  
Ranma cursed, and quickly apologized. "I'll be there as quick as I can. Kasumi, get a doctor there for Akane."  
  
*He's on his way.*  
  
"Good job, Kasumi. I'll be there soon."  
  
He ended that conversation, and then hit a speed dial. It rang twice before being answered.  
  
*Yes?*  
  
"Chad, it's Ranma. There's a problem. Someone kidnapped Sanscha, and hurt Akane. I'm on my way to the dojo, but I need all of your freshest leads. Where would they take a hostage?"  
  
*Who, Ranma?*  
  
Ranma snarled, "Who else? Whoever's left of the Roses! I don't have any other enemies that would be so dishonorable."  
  
*I'm sorry Ranma, we don't have anything like that at the moment. They've been bouncing around hotels a lot, not sitting still. I don't think they have any sort of home base."  
  
"They have to, Chad, that's how they've always worked. What hotels?"  
  
Chad sighed into the reciever, *Oh, anything in the mid-class price range. Comfortable places that don't ask questions.*  
  
Ranma frowned, it didn't make sense. "Are we sure Jaxom's still around?"  
  
*Everything points to that. The same habits and everything. All his old calling cards and the little bits he obsessed over, they're all being maintained.*  
  
Ranma frowned and made a quick turn down a sidestreet, "Not all of them. I'll talk to you later."  
  
*Ran--*  
  
Ranma slammed the phone shut. He needed to think. Something wasn't right here, and he knew he was missing something.  
  
Akane sipped at the water Dr. Tofu kept shoving at her. He had liberally applied some strange ointment, and the pain in her throat was fading. She hoped it was because it was healing, not because he'd put some anesthesia in the gunk.  
  
"Doctor?" He was beside her instantly.  
  
"Don't speak yet, Akane. You've suffered some trauma to your throat, and I think it best you keep your speaking to a minumum."  
  
She nodded shakily, and tried to sit up. He assisted her, which surprised her at first, since she'd been expecting him to make her stay down. Once she was propped in a seated position, he excused himself and started to the door, only to be nearly knocked from his feet as her bedroom door flew open.  
  
Her eyes widened as Ranma charged into the room, heading straight for her bed. He didn't spare a glance for the doctor, his eyes intent upon Akane as he gently moved her head around to get a better idea of the bruises still coloring her neck and face.  
  
"Who was it Akane?"  
  
She would have answered, but Dr. Tofu was suddenly beside Ranma, trying to pull Ranma away from the bed. He seemed only slightly confused when Ranma not only did not move, but turned to glare angrily at him.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
Dr. Tofu frowned, "I'm Akane's family doctor. I dont know who you are, but I'm afraid Akane shouldn't be speaking just now. I've already called the police, and--"  
  
"Well call and tell them it was a false alarm. If the police interfere, someone will die." He turned back to Akane, "Now, did you get a good look at any of them?" At her nod he gave a relieved sigh and continued, "Good girl. Now, did you see Jaxom or anyone with a rose emblem of some sort?"  
  
" . . . rose."   
  
At her hoarse croak, Ranma winced. His face hardened a moment later though.  
  
"Now just see here! What do you mean call them back? The authorities need to know about this, so they can be caught!"  
  
Ranma sighed in frustration and turned back to the doctor, "Look, I already called the best authorities for this, and they're working on it. Now if you'll kindly let me find out some information, I'll get the thug myself."  
  
He turned back to Akane and took her hand in his, "Now, did you see which way they went?"   
  
She looked sheepish and shook her head.   
  
"That's fine, you were out by then, huh? Ok, did any of them look at all familiar, like you'd seen them somewhere where they could possibly have been tailing you?"  
  
She shook her head after a thoughtful pause.  
  
"Alright Akane, I'm going to find Sanscha and your sister, but I honestly don't know where they could have taken her. Jaxom hasn't been using the old Rose fronts, so we haven't been able to tail his workings. Did you notice a car maybe? How about any logos or anything on their clothes?"  
  
His questions continued with negative answers for precious minutes. Finally he sat at the foot of her bed, grateful Soun had come in and assured the Doctor that Ranma had legitimite reasons for being there and asking all of his questions. With a sigh, Ranma turned to Akane. She'd just fallen asleep, a worried frown on her face.  
  
Where could they be? None of Jaxom's old haunts had shown any movements for weeks, and all of his father's old businesses were very efficiently shut down after the trial. Very few of the Rose properties had even been in this area. The closest one was Nishiguchi's house. Aside from that, the only places near Nerima were some old warehouses he'd run illegal gambling out of.  
  
Ranma's head shot up. The warehouses had burnt to the ground months ago, with no claims on the insurance. Chad had dropped the two buildings from the list of places and people to watch just a few weeks ago. There was a pretty decently sized complex built under the two warehouses with running water and electricity. It was probably still furnished even, since Chad would have no use for the gaudy decorations, and his people were the only ones outside of the Roses that knew the place existed.  
  
Ranma had only been there a few times while he'd worked for Nishiguchi, but he knew it would be the perfect place to take a couple of hostages. There had been a large 'cell' in the back, and everyone that was brought into the secret gambling ring was shown the barred room on their introductory tour. As far as Ranma knew, nobody'd ever been actually kept there. It was more to prove to Nishiguchi's customers that messing with the Roses would be a bad idea. That's why Ranma had been recquired to make the occasional stop there after he'd gotten such an elaborate reputaion.  
  
Jaxom would be completely unwatched if he took the girls there. It was in an out of the way neighborhood that was nearly deserted at night, and few knew it even existed.  
  
Ranma cursed and jumped to his feet, "I got it Akane! You rest, and I'll be back with the girls later!"  
  
She was still half asleep when he made it into the hallway and slammed the door shut behind him. Akane blinked silently for a moment in the silence before the pain in her neck brought everything back. In the darkness of her room, she broke down in sobs that tore at her injured neck.  
  
Ranma's little car hadn't been tested this hard since his test drive. He made it to the warehouse in record time, even though he parked three blocks away. Queitly slipping through the shadows in his female form, he braced himself mentally and physically when he knew he was just around the corner. Peeking carefully around the corner of an abandoned, half burnt shell, his eyes fell on the steel and concrete stairs down the street that had previously led to the Nishiguchi Warehouse.  
  
He glanced behind him at the perimeter guard bound and gagged in an unconcious heap on the ground. The fool had tried to attack the 'harmless' redhead for some action. He got it, but it was Ranma having all the fun. He'd avoided any serious damage though, just bruising the guy heavily before knockinghim out.  
  
Turning back to the street, Ranma was fairly certain there were no other guards. Still, he kept to the shadows as much as possible, and stealthily made his way down the street. Shortly he was kneeling by the stairs and thumbing the hidden switches that opened the stairs to reveal a descending set underneath.  
  
They'd rusted out a lot from lack of use, since the burnt down building let in more rain. Still, the elaborate twists and whorls of the metal stairs was admirable. They were also noisy. Two steps down, he realized he couldn't continue like this. A glance down reminded him that it wasn't a far drop, so he jumped over the side. Glancing about the dim room, he started the hunt.  
  
Nabiki glared at the guard a moment, ignoring Sanscha's advice to keep a low profile. The redhead reached out a hand to stop her, but Nabiki managed to get far enough into the light that Sanscha felt it best to stay hidden.   
  
Nabiki marched up to the bars, grabbing one in each hand as she waited for the guard to look at her.  
  
When the man looked up she said, "Look, how much are they paying you?"  
  
He blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing. "What, you think a kid like you's gonna buy me off?"  
  
Nabiki smiled, "No, but my boss could. I do Ranma's accounting. Whatever this has been gangster is paying you, I know he could beat it two fold. I'm willing to bet you're fairly trustworthy, so if you get us out of here, you can expect a nice, legal check as soon as I'm back in my office."  
  
The guard simply stared, beyond puzzled. This was not your typical hostage-pleaing-for-freedom bit. After a moment though, he paused. It was well known to the new Rose guards that Ranma Soatome was very wealthy. It was worth thinking over.  
  
There was a beep at his waist and he jerked the walkie talkie to his mouth, "Yeah?"  
  
"Bring the girl to the main room, and keep her bound."  
  
He looked into the cell and frowned, "The brunette, right?"  
  
"Yes! The brunette you idiot. Oh, and don't worry about the redhead. It isn't Ranma afterall, just some other little girl. Bring up the Tendo girl, then go back for the redhead."  
  
"Right."  
  
He scowled into the cage, "Alright, nuthin funny now. You first, Tendo."  
  
Nabiki glanced back at Sanscha, who nodded and waved for Nabiki to go. With a shrug, she stepped up to the door as the man opened first one, then the other set of bars. He had a set of cuffs in his hands, so she held her wrists out to him. He snorted and dragged her into the narrow hallway. He turned her around roughly by the shoulder, pulling her arms behind her to cuff them.  
  
As he was snapping the second one on, Sanscha attacked. Nabiki, fairly useless in a fight, lunged away from him the instant his head turned to the snarling redhead. He kept ahold of the cuffs though, and she nearly fell as her weight was jerked hard at her wrist.  
  
She turned in time to see Sanscha throw a hefty set of punches into the guy's face and stomach. He grunted, but did manage to get his arms up after that for some defense. Sanscha pulled back to follow up with a kick, but he smirked and swung Nabiki at her like a club. The two girls collided and, since they were nearly the same height, their skulls crashed together loudly in the long hallway.  
  
The man snorted in amusement and bent to pick the girls up.   
  
Ranma managed to catch the first one by surprise, knocking him over the head with the base of his knife. The second one turned with the walkie talkie still at his mouth, a look of pure bafflement on his face at the sight of an angry redhead. The third managed to clip Ranma on the shoulder with a weak punch while he was blocking the fourth man's kick. Grabbing his extended leg, Ranma swung the fourth one around and into the third one.   
  
Before the two could untangle themselves, Ranma was already on them, knocking each of them over the head with his knife. He snatched up the handset and checked the volume, turning it down almost to the minimum. Holding it to his ear so he'd still heasr it, while hopefully keeping it quiet enough that other guards wouldn'thear him coming, Ranma continued down the hallway.   
  
He didn't run into any more men, though, and paused before the door to the living room of the family's private suite. It swung silently into the room, and Ranma dropped his hand limply to his side with a look of disbelief at the sound of skin on skin.  
  
Nabiki opened her eyes slowly to see a dimly lit room. She could see a door directly ahead of her, an oriental rug the only thing seperating her from possible escape. Of course, whatever bonds she could feel keeping her arms secured behind her back certainly weren't helping.  
  
There was something warm just behind her, and from the rythmic movement of it, she had to conclude it was a person. She slowly turned her aching head to her right just enough to see a slash of bright red, and winced.  
  
Honestly, she'd been counting on Sanscha to get them out of there. Numbers and finance bowed to Nabiki willingly, but martial arts never had. Now Nabiki and her escape ticket were sitting on the floor, their hands bound together behind their backs.   
  
She heard a slight rustel and left and turned her head that way, gasping softly.  
  
"Saya! What are you doing here?"  
  
The woman was sitting on a couch in front of a gas fireplace, the artificial logs lending the room its only light. The teacher's eyes opened in startlement before she cocked her head.  
  
"Why Nabiki, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out quite yet. Ranma has such high opinions of your intelligence."  
  
Her brain, sluggish from the repeated blows it had taken, struggled to make a forward click.  
  
"Ranma? Is he here? Find the key, Saya. We need to get out of here before Jaxom finds us." She glanced behind her and tried to figure out how to get the handcuffs off. "Why did Ranma bring you? Wouldn't Akane make more sense?"  
  
Saya hadn't moved from the couch, "Oh, I suppose he wouldn't want to risk his little pet student. She's probably safe at home still."  
  
Nabiki paused as her brain finally started to move again. "Of course," she whispered.  
  
She'd just gotten new information that afternoon. Her contact had seen Saya in a rough neighborhood, surrounded by goons, and gathering more. It was said she was trying to broaden the men's horizons, letting them in on hidden truths that she had learned while working for the Tokyo Roses. Her contact hadn't been able to get in on the group, but seemed to think they were being offered some sort of compensation.  
  
"You really should have been more careful, Nabiki. Your people aren't as talented as you think. I know everything you knew about me, but I wasn't worried until today. That's why you're here instead of your sister."  
  
"Jaxom isn't the one after Ranma, it's you!"  
  
Saya chuckled primly, "Why yes. You see, Ranma killed my poor Jaxom in China. It was rather nasty, really. Nothing much left for burial after the explosion."  
  
"Poor Jaxom? He was a madman!"  
  
Saya's smile didn't change, but her eyes clearly did. Her soft expression was now a crazed and angry glare as she stood and stepped closer to the girls on the floor.  
  
"My beloved was nothing of the sort! Oh, poor Ranma, taken off the streets and given a wonderful education. Both in his academic studies and his beloved martial arts. All for the price of a few deaths. The poor dear! But he had a choice! He agreed to the deal Nishiguchi offered him, willingly. My Jaxom had no chance! As Nishiguchi's only son and heir, he had to take up the business. He didn't mind so much at first, happy that it made his father proud. And then Ranma came."   
  
She spun on her heel and began to pace angrily, "I didn't see it at first either, you know. I was fooled by Ranma's sob story as well. But then Jaxom came back to me, and offered to take me back into the higher circles. He explained what it was like, living in the shadow of perfect Ranma. Ranma Soatome that passed his studies with high marks, mastered every martial arts style he was exposed to with ease, and took to his job in the Roses as if he were born to it."  
  
Saya paused and Nabiki was horrified by the tears she saw as the older woman turned back to her.  
  
"No wonder my poor Jaxom turned out the way he did! Can you really blame him?"  
  
Without hesitation Nabiki answered, "Yes."  
  
The fury returned to Saya's face as she backhanded Nabiki. A soft groan told Nabiki that her fellow captive would be awake at any moment.  
  
"Saya?"  
  
Nabiki and her former tutor turned to see Ranma's look of betrayal and revulsion as he stepped into the room.  
  
"How could you let him con you like that, Saya? You know how manipulative he was, of course he had good excuses. But I trusted you, you were like my mother!"  
  
Saya snarled and pulled a small handgun from her pocket, immediately pointing it at Nabiki's head, "Manipulative? No, Ranma, misunderstood. How could you understand? You're always the right one, the one with all the tragedies. And that ridiculous curse! Whining and crying about it. YOU left Jusenkyo. Jaxom did not. How can you complain about that?"  
  
Ranma's face darkened as he took a step forward, "Because Jaxom was a coward! He challenged me to a man to man duel, and then dihonored himself by bringing the bombs into it. If he killed himself with his own trap, I won't shed any tears over it. He could have tried being my friend, or asked me to train him. I would have, even if I didn't like the brat."  
  
She scoffed, "Oh, ask his father's pet to train him so that Jaxom loses face with the men he wouldl one day be inheriting? You know that world Ranma, even if you pretend you're better than that. How much respect would Nishiguchi's men have for him if he crawled up and begged you to teach him?"  
  
She pulled back the hammer and Nabiki's eyes clamped shut.  
  
"But I'll avenge his death, Ranma, and his honor." Her hand went to her abdoman, "I'm carrying his child as we speak. I will raise our baby to take back all that you stole from Jaxom when you brought about the fall of the Roses."  
  
Now the revulsion on Ranma's face was achingly evident as he glanced down at the cowering Nabiki. He saw Sanscha turned about to meet his eyes before she looked pointedly at Saya.  
  
Ranma's eyes flew back to the Saya's as the woman laughed, "With you gone, and the mercenary Tendo brat, nobody will ever guess what I plan. I know what your will says, Ranma. I'll inherit most of your fortune, and have a good start at reviving the Roses."  
  
Saya let out another hearty laugh, though this one was cut short.  
  
Sanscha wanted the voices to stop, but couldn't seem to get away from them. Finally, she opened her eyes, and her ears.  
  
When the crazed words of Saya reached her and finally sank in, she realized that the woman was talking to her sensei. She had apparently missed some information in translation, and some important stuff at the beginning altogether, but the main point was that Saya was the bad guy her.  
  
She managed to turn around enough to make eye contact with Ranma. She glanced at Saya as the woman made a fanatical point. Saya took a step back, keeping her gun hand pointed at Nabiki while the other gestured broadly. She looked back at Ranma and his eyes went back to the woman he'd trusted so much.  
  
When Saya threw her head back, eyes closed, to laugh at her victory, Sanscha struck. She lashed out with a snapping kick to the wrist dropping slightly as the mad woman let her guard drop. She could feel the muscles and tendons straining in her legs, but the thud of the gun on carpet was enough for her to feel satisfied. Ranma was instantly on Saya, grabbing her wrist and twisting so that her arm was held stiffly behind her.  
  
Her eyes registered only surprise and confusion at first, but then the anger returned. Ranma couldn't see her pull a second gun from her pocket, since Saya's own body blocked his view, but he saw the fear suddenly blossum on Sanscha's face.  
  
He jerked on her arm, and Saya's gun fired. He heard a femenine shriek as he punched Saya hard enough to easily knock her out. As his former friend and mentor fell to the ground, he kicked the second gun away from her limp hand before rushing over to see who'd been hit.  
  
  
  
A/N: I'm not happy with this ending. Bleh, can we say anti-climatic? Let me know how to improve it, finals have killed my brain. Epilogue comming soon! I swear!! 


End file.
